Dead Ad Infinitum
by dunedinfairy
Summary: Set after Dead and Gone, Eric is tried for entering into the Fae War against orders and subsequently imprisoned by Felipe leaving Sookie at the mercy of Victor. Victor decides to turn Sookie to benefit from having a telepathic child. Will her friends get to her in time to save her?
1. Chapter 1

**I don't own anything here, Charlaine Harris does. I'm just taking her fabulous characters out into the sandbox :-)**

It had been a week since Niall had come to see me. Jason came by every day to check on me, make sure there was food in the fridge and to ask if I needed anything. I'd never known him to be so attentive or concerned about someone other than himself. A brief glance in his head told me that he was alternating between being furious and being worried about my condition.

Despite generous quantities of Eric's blood I was still in less than great shape. Usually thousand year old vampire blood packs quite a punch but the beating I'd endured physically and emotionally at the hands of Neave and Lochlan had laid me low. Eric had wanted to keep feeding me until I was fully healed but on the third night after I was brought home Pam voiced her concern that we were approaching some kind of limit and after that I had avidly refused any more, even though some of the missing flesh had yet failed to fill out. Eric hadn't been happy, in fact he'd been furious with Pam for planting the concern in my head but, knowing how I feel about being turned, he had eventually calmed and agreed that it was best to stop the exchange for a while.

The following night I was surprised when Eric didn't return. I'd been used to his daily appearance at sundown and I welcomed his cold arms holding me at night while I either failed to sleep or did only to wake screaming. It was around nine when I heard a brash knock at the front door followed by Amelia's heart heavy trudge down the stairs to answer. I had known it wasn't Eric, or even Pam as they tended to let themselves in these days.

After a muted greeting in the hall my door popped open but from my vantage point in bed I didn't see anyone enter. No sooner did I consider dropping my shields than Dr Ludwig vaulted onto the bed by my elbow. "The Vampire told me to come," she said as if by way of explanation. "He tells me that you need some assistance getting some rest."

I had been about to protest when the doctor had placed a clammy, gnarly hand on my forehead. I closed my eyes and woke up the following morning. I had slept and for the first time since my ordeal, I felt rested and even better, slightly more positive.

That day Jason had arrived in his lunch hour to find me sat at the kitchen table with a mug of coffee and his smile could have brightened the midnight sky. His mind was reeling with relief but what fell out his mouth was, "What's for lunch, sis?"

That evening, again came Dr Ludwig and her magic hands but no Eric. I surmised (word of the day) that he had spent enough time tending the fragile human and had vampire affairs to see to. He was sending the good doctor and I was able to sleep without terrors plaguing me so who was I to complain?

More days passed. Tonight though I had sensed Eric strongly through the bond. I was in the middle of a catch up with Sam over a cup of cocoa when I brought my hand crashing to the table and yelped loudly at the pain that ricocheted up my badly damaged wrist. Anger, frustration and then dread coursed through me as Sam sat by, aghast at my outburst in the middle of his anecdote about Jane Bodehouse's recent escapades.

I was instantly scrolling for Eric's number. No answer. I tried Pam. No answer. Finally I called Fangtasia. Maxwell Lee answered and advised me that Pam and Eric were gone to New Orleans for an audience with the King. He would let them know that I had called when they returned. He did not know when to expect them back.

"This is bad Sam," I said, turning to my best friend. "Eric doesn't do desperate, something is wrong."

"Chin up Cher, you don't get to be his age without knowing how to get out of a pickle. I'm sure Eric would want you to just be worried about you right now."

Just then my cell rang. It was an unknown number but as soon as I answered Pam's voice asked "Sookie?"

"Pam, it's me, what's wrong?"

"I don't have much time. Are you alone?"

"No, Sam's here. Amelia has gone to stay with Octavia for a while. Where's Eric?" Amelia's leaving was still a sore spot but it was for the best. It was exhausting me working to block her all the time. I couldn't cope with getting better and dealing with her pain in addition to my own. Hopefully it would just be temporary until things became a bit less raw.

A heavy silence filled the line.

"Pam, you're freaking me out!" I cried. I couldn't cope with the sensation of grief I was getting from Eric.

"Sookie, listen to me. Leave your house, now. Victor is on his way for you."

My breath caught in my throat and the look on my face had Sam edging closer to the phone. I put her on speaker and she continued at a frantic pace.

"Eric was called before Felipe for violating Victor's orders and involving himself in the Fae War. Victor had gone so far as to silver Eric in the basement at Fangtasia to prevent his coming to your aid when he felt your need for him through the bond. As soon as Victor and his cronies died for the day one of the waitresses freed him. Eric argued with Felipe that he only involved himself as was necessary to procure the safety of his bonded. I think Felipe would have overlooked the transgression had Victor not been so adamant that Eric should be punished for going against his authority. As regent Victor feels that Eric's insubordination makes him look weak. As such Felipe has ordered Eric be lashed and bound in silver for a turn of the moon."

I was too stunned for speech. My hands started shaking and I laid the phone down on the kitchen table. I had wondered again and again why he hadn't come to me in those dark hours in the shack. Especially when I knew he would feel my longing for him and my pain at any distance. Eric had always been such a strong, commanding presence that the thought of him at the whim of someone else's authority, much less punishment, was boggling.

"A month? But…" I began when I finally found my voice.

"But nothing," Pam interjected. "As Eric's second it is my duty to protect you. Get out of your house immediately. Go to the Shifter's home and wait for me there."

"Why does Sookie have to go anywhere just because Eric has been reprimanded by his boss?" Sam asked, running his hands through his hair, further dishevelling it in frustration.

"Because, Shifter, it seems very much that Victor has engineered this whole situation to remove Sookie from Eric's protection."

Part of me wanted to break down into a full scale panic attack. Thankfully, it was my survival instinct that won out and I hauled myself to my feet. As Pam disconnected Sam took off to find his keys. Within thirty seconds we were in his truck and trundling down Hummingbird Road.


	2. Chapter 2

**Charlaine Harris owns this world, these characters and everything wonderful about both!**

Pam didn't appear the following evening but I received two text messages from her. The first was to check that I had indeed removed myself from the farmhouse, the second was to verify that she was not going to risk leaving Fangtasia that night as she suspected she was being watched.

It was ridiculously difficult to sit in Sam's trailer and wait for the next big bad to come along and smack me upside the head. I alternated between wanting to chase the sun round the planet and wanting to stand looking into the night with a stake in my hand. Thankfully Sam was good company and he worked tirelessly to keep my mind off the situation with Eric and Victor. The rising swell of panic, dread and despair emanating from Eric had reached a stable pitch now too.

Pam called at sundown the following day to advise she was on her way. There was a brief silent standoff at the door when she arrived at Sam's trailer but eventually he ungraciously invited her in. It seemed she had called a war council enroute as within half an hour of her arrival every supe I'd ever done a favour was sitting in Sam's double wide. I felt terrible imposing on Sam so badly, especially when he made a run to the bar for refreshments to offer round. Alcide, Calvin, Jason, Bill and Claude (who sat himself as far from Pam and Bill as Sam's living quarters would allow) sat to attention as Pam held court.

Bill was still weak with silver poisoning, courtesy of Neave's teeth, so he was to keep watch over the cemetery and advise Pam if Victor or any of his crew approached my house. This would provide an early warning that Pam and Eric's fears were come to fruition. Claude was to try to contact Niall for his help as the number I had for him had been disconnected. Jason and Calvin were to take me at first light to Hotshot where it was deemed Victor was less likely to go looking and where my scent would be masked by the high population of panthers. Alcide was to have his Weres listen in across Shreveport and the surrounding areas to establish if Victor had anyone else out looking for me and if possible, to lead them astray. Sam was going to tell the bar patrons that further to my 'accident' I was going on an extended vacation in Europe to aid my recovery.

Everything was worked out to the nth degree and it might have all worked out swimmingly if a tiger hadn't come barrelling through the door of Sam's trailer.

"Quinn?" I asked in disbelief as the massive animal took pause to bare his teeth at the assembled company. Alcide and Calvin growled in unison while Claude conveniently 'poofed' himself right out of there. Bill and Jason worked themselves in front of me.

The trailer seemed impossibly small with such an enormous beast blocking the exit. Splinters of door and frame lay strewn at the tiger's feet and behind him, on Sam's deck, stood Victor surveying the damage. "Tut tut tut Pamela," he drawled. "Quite interesting company you keep. If one didn't know you to be happier taking orders than giving them, one might assume you were planning a coupe."

Pam glanced my way with a fleeting look of apology and Victor continued. "Now, this is how this is going to go. Miss Stackhouse will leave, with me, now, and I promise not to hurt her friends, miscreants and traitors. If she does not, my colleagues here will blow up this Hicksville piece of trash with all of you in it."

"No!" I yelled. I couldn't take it anymore. No one else was going to die protecting me. I wasn't fit to run or fight anymore. A life with Victor would be hell on earth but I'd only have to leave with him long enough to ensure my friends' safety and then I could call it quits on life. In the shack I'd looked death in the face and here again, it seemed like a comforting option. "I'm coming."

Everyone in the trailer looked at me in unison. Disbelief and fear etched on the faces of my loved ones. "I love you all," I said as I made my way shakily on my damaged legs over upturned furniture toward Quinn and Victor.

"Sook," Jason said, placing a hand on my shoulder.

"It's OK Jase, it was always going to come to this," I assured him with a sad smile.

The rest of the company avoided direct eye contact and I was swamped momentarily with their anger, resignation, pain and frustration. I didn't have to read Pam or Bill, their faces said it all.

As I passed Quinn he followed my movements with sad eyes. I wondered what his loved ones had done this time to force him into this mess. "I forgive you," I said to him, and with that I held out my hand to Victor for help getting over the remains of the door.

Victor took my hand and arm and half lifted, half yanked me over the threshold. "Why, Miss Stackhouse," he said, taking in my limp and defeated demeanour, "You're damaged goods," he laughed. With that he escorted me down the path and out the gate. I tried not to look back but I couldn't help it as Victor led me along the white picket fence toward the bar parking area. Quinn remained in the doorway, vampires were stationed all around the trailer and a large gas canister rested against the end wall. "Torch it," Victor instructed.

"Please no, please no, please…" I cried. Struggling with a vampire is futile but I did it anyway. Hysteria built in my chest and my breathing sped and I thought I heard gunshots followed by a myriad of roaring. I lost consciousness just in time to miss Sam's trailer engulfed in a fireball.


	3. Chapter 3

**Hats off to Charlaine Harris for these glorious characters that I'm taking out to play...**

Waking up from a blackout is always disorienting. It's not possible to discern how much time has passed or where you are. I came to slowly and was relieved that I wasn't in pain. However, when I opened my eyes there was nothing but darkness.

I expected panic but it didn't come. Instead I flexed my hands and feet and was grateful they weren't bound. The nerves in my wrists and ankles were not yet healed from my latest abduction. I tentatively reached out into the darkness. I was lying on my back on a soft satiny blanket of some sort. I tried to remember where I'd been and what I'd been doing when I blacked out and suddenly it all came back. Almost everyone I had ever cared about was dead and it was my fault. My futile attempt to protect them had sealed their doom. Tears flowed into my hair. I tried to sit up but didn't get far before I skelped my head on something hard.

Jesus Christ, Shepherd of Judea, that bastard has put me in a coffin! Oddly enough, still no panic. Instead I felt for the dimensions of my confines. Was I being shipped somewhere? Perhaps I was just locked up while Victor slept for the day? The construction must have been kind of flimsy though because where I banged the roof with my head the wood was cracked. I banged some more with my fist and the wood came apart like rice paper beneath my knuckles. There was a short gap and another layer of wood. I tried my luck and again the material gave way but this time I got a mouth full of dirt in the process.

So I was buried. Why would Victor go to all the trouble of taking me just to bury me in the ground? I held my breath and kicked and kneed and battered the roof of the coffin in sheer temper. Splinters of wood and earth collapsed on me and I pushed my way upward with all my might. First I fought my way to a sitting position, then I knelt with the weight of what felt like a hundred tons of soil on my head. I thrust my arms upward and pushed with my feet to a standing position. At five foot odds tall I wondered if it was possible to swim upward through earth. I wondered at what point I would run out of air. I used the fragments of the coffin for leverage and finally my hand met a cool breeze.

It must have taken me a good fifteen minutes to fight my way to the surface yet it was only when I finally sat face to face with my own headstone that I realised I had yet to let go of the breath I'd been holding.

There, next to that of Adele Stackhouse, sat a polished granite stone that read, 'Here lies Sookie Stackhouse, beloved sister and friend.' The ground was freshly dug and I'd destroyed a wreath or two as I fought my way out into the night air.

I coughed and wretched some dirt from my throat. By God did my throat hurt. From somewhere to the east of the cemetery I heard footsteps and quickly tidied the grave as best I could with my hands. I hid behind a headstone further down and waited.

Sam appeared carrying a bouquet of daisies. He wasn't dead! I took off from my hiding place toward him at lightning speed. All I could think was to hug my friend to me. I had my fangs out and in the artery in his neck before I could blink.

Sam had smelled me before he saw me and what he saw was enough to set him to screaming before I started draining him. Seconds later he was on the ground bleeding and I was being restrained from behind.

Sam looked up at me from my feet as I hissed and snarled against the stone arms that were holding me back from the blood, foul though it tasted. "Sookie?" he panted, before promptly passing out.

Bill's cool voice was suddenly at my ear. "Sookie, it's me, Bill. We have to get you blood immediately. Sam's your friend. Stop fighting me, you don't want to hurt him."

Twenty minutes later I was sitting on Bill's couch with a blanket wrapped around me and several types of True Blood in front of me. Bill had waited until I was halfway through my second bottle before going to retrieve Sam from the graveyard. Thanks to his supe genes, the gash on his neck was already healing though he looked a little pale as he staggered in, supported by Bill.

"Sam," I started sheepishly, getting to my feet at an exaggeratedly slow human speed so as not to scare him again, "I'm so sorry."

"S'alright, Sook," he said waving off any further attempt at an apology as Bill deposited him in a chair. "Not your fault. In spite of everything, I'm glad to see you. Though I got to admin, hon, you look like shit," he added, chuckling lightly.

I looked down at myself. I was filthy. Dirt clogged my ears and my bloody tears had matted in my hair in several places. I thought I discerned the white sundress I'd worn on my first visit to Fangtasia, but it was hard to be sure under several layers of filth. Several urges fought for dominance. I wanted a shower, I wanted answers and I wanted more blood. All that would have to wait though as Bill's door flew open bringing Eric in at lightning speed. After the slightest pause Pam followed. Eric stopped a few feet from me and then he was on his knees shedding bloody tears on Bill's Persian rug.


	4. Chapter 4

**Charlaine Harris owns these characters and this world. I'm just messing with them. Thank you for the reviews!**

Eric looked up at me with such love that I momentarily forgot my desperate need for a shower and threw myself at him, spraying dirt in my path. We huddled on the floor, impervious to our onlookers, gripping each other in a ferocious and needy embrace. In my befuddled state I hadn't discerned our bond but now it overwhelmed me. The love and relief and absolute joy that Eric felt was miraculous and it flowed through me. I was overjoyed to find him safe and much as I loved him, I regret that in that instant I could only send him a good dose of confusion and turmoil in return.

Sensing my turbulent emotional state, Eric untangled himself and backed away from me hesitantly. "Lover, I know you did not wish for this life, but know that your rising has brought me more joy that I have experienced in my entire life," he whispered hesitantly.

I nodded at him. A new bloody tear formed and ran down my cheek. Well, it's not like at this point I could get much more hideous. My new vampire state hit home a little. I'd never see the sun again.

"Eric," started Pam. She seemed hesitant, something I'd never before witnessed when she addressed Eric. She was always respectful but never meek. She kept her eyes lowered and continued, "Perhaps it would help Sookie if she were to have a brief overview of the events that she has missed."

"Yes, I'd like that," I said. "The last thing I remember was Victor giving the order to blow up Sam's trailer. He obviously didn't succeed."

"Oh, he succeeded alright," shot Sam. He observed my pained expression and smiled at me kindly. He continued in a softer tone, "It was your hot head brother that we have to thank for making it out of there before that fuckwit tried to send us all to hell in a furnace."

"Before you were out of Sam's gate he completely lost it. I didn't see him procure the shotgun but then the tiger was dead," Pam continued, looking at nobody in particular.

"Pam and Bill grabbed Jason and I and whizzed us up out of there," said Sam. "I knew vamps could move but one minute I was standing by my old sofa and the next I was up against the trash behind the bar. Alcide and Calvin had just barrelled themselves out the door behind us when my home ceased to exist," Sam choked up a little and it wasn't lost on me how much that would hurt. I'd once lost my kitchen to a fire and it had briefly felt like the end of the world.

The passing of Quinn did little to disturb me. Turn up at my door once with hostile vampires trying to kill us all, you get a pass, provided you have a batshit crazy mother and sister getting you in deep. Turn up at my door twice… get shot by my hot head brother and I will not mark your passing with a raised eyebrow.

Pam continued, "We were instantly besieged and in hand to hand combat with Victor's minions. I am ashamed to admit that I was momentarily overpowered by only two of them and was not able to save you from Victor," Pam's lower lip trembled slightly and she kept her gaze averted.

"Pam, it's OK. Pam, look at me. Victor had the jump on us all. When I walked out that door I thought it was all I could do to keep you all from harm. When that scumbag told his men to burn the trailer I was sure I'd lost myself and all of you to boot. You saved yourself and helped save my friends and for that I will be eternally happy." I tried to pour sincerity into my voice but it didn't stop a red tear dragging some mascara down Pam's cheek.

"I saved her back in return for yanking me out the door," said Sam. "I pulled a tiger of my own out the bag and tore Pam free of Victor's men."

"Yes, I owe you my thanks Shifter," Pam said solemnly. "Sadly though, not in time to tear _you_ free of Victor," she said, looking to me.

Eric had sat mute through this little narrative and I placed the palm of my hand against his dejected cheek, noting that I couldn't differentiate the coolness of his skin anymore. His features were grave.

"I felt you give up. It felt like goodbye," he said quietly. He lifted his gaze and his cool blue eyes met mine squarely. "I broke free of my silver bindings and beheaded Philipe. I can't even remember what I did it with. It was a blind rage. I couldn't feel the pain of the silver. I just felt your surrender and everything else ceased to matter."

"So, I'm Victor's child?" I said, not attempting to keep the disgust from my tone. I looked between the faces in the room, surprised to find them staring back blankly.

A deep pause settled. I settled on Eric's eyes and silently bid him explain.

"We don't know, my love," he began. "I saw Victor over you from the sky. Your cheek had lost its colour and your lips were blue. I knew before I landed on Victor that you were gone and so began tearing him to pieces. When I returned to your side…" he trailed off and fresh blood dripped from his chiselled chin onto his black shirt.

I realised that Eric looked decidedly un-Eric. His face looked gaunt and his shoulders were stooped as he sat on his heels. His jeans were dirty and his blonde hair looked lank and greasy. He bit on his lower lip and the gesture was so unlike him that I actual almost told him to pull it together. The impulse was quickly quashed by my rational brain reminding me that he had lived three days believing I was dead and I softened. Vampire brains seem to be able to progress from thought to thought at a frightening speed.

"No one knew if Victor had given you his blood or if so, how much. He was no longer living so you wouldn't be able to lie with your maker in the dirt. I refrained from giving you my own blood knowing you would not thank me for it," Eric said. He looked at Pam for the first time since their arrival before continuing, "I even commanded Pam as her maker, not to give you hers. Then Niall showed up and all hell broke loose again.

When we relayed to him that we did not know if you had been fed he tried to give you the Fae Breath."

Sam actually giggled a bit, possibly from delayed shock, and explained, "Looked like a fairy equivalent of the kiss of life."

Eric took my hand and attention, "It didn't seem to work and when he smelled your blood he said you had so much of my blood in you that it might bring you over to us anyway. I couldn't feel you though, the bond was empty. You were gone. We waited three nights and you did not rise. Lover, how I wished to meet the sun."

I hugged Eric hard, as the pain he had felt was remembered and flowed to me in the bond. From over his shoulder I saw Niall pop into Bill's sitting room by the hearth.

Bill frowned and grit his teeth, probably at the arrival of yet another unannounced visitor, but smartly said nothing. My Grandfather was a substantial presence in the modest living room and he glowed with his usual ethereal magnificence.

Niall smiled kindly but kept his distance. "Aren't you glad now I refused to let you cease to be, Vampire?" he asked, presumably of Eric.

Eric growled deep within his chest. Not sure I wanted to know what had transpired between them in my absence but if Niall was responsible for keeping Eric alive then I'd be forever thankful.

"So," I said, "I didn't rise and y'all thought I was properly dead."

"We held a funeral for you three days ago just after dark," said Sam. "You've been gone seven days, Cher."

Sheesh, no wonder they thought I was dead. Well, I am kind of dead I suppose, but who heard of a vampire rising after seven days? The look on Eric's face told me he was following my train of thought.

"It has never been heard of," he told me.

"Because there's never been a Sky Fae Vampire before," explained Niall. "I suspected you were not finally gone my dear because you failed to visit either me or your brother. Your spark was too strong for you not to. Which is why, Vampire, I insisted on your not running out to play in the noonday sun," he finished, gruffly.

Yeah, definitely tension there between my honey and gramps!

"I felt you rise tonight, Sookie," said Eric, caressing the side of my face in all its sticky glory. "You don't feel like my child but you also feel more vibrant than my bonded. I may not be your maker but my blood definitely flows in you."

Five sets of eyes watched me warily. I was having trouble processing the situation. For one, I was a vampire. Goodbye Sunday morning church visits, biscuits and gravy, sweet potato casserole and Dairy Queen. Secondly, my 'maker' might have been a sick and masochistic bottom feeder. Finally, and well, more pressingly, Victor was finally dead and all my nearest and dearest were alive and well. For the moment that would have to do.

"You're all OK," I told them, "I didn't want this, but the person responsible is dead. I don't think I'd rather be dead." I was not certain that was the case and I was not, it seems, going to be an eloquent member of the undead.

My brain lurched off on a different tangent and a sudden panic caught in my chest, "Eric, you killed the King, what will happen?"

He shushed me, "Don't worry, Lover. The situation is not ideal but we are in no immediate danger. You have had so much to come to terms with this evening. Perhaps you should feed and rest."

"I would like to shower," I told him. I'd also like him to join me. I wasn't going to say that in front of the assembled company but he would feel my rising lust.

"You may feel free to use my facilities," piped in Bill, ever the gentleman and obviously oblivious to my desire to have my Viking for company.

Bill was looking a little better in the week that I'd been gone. His cheeks looked a little less sunken and eyes were not quite so black. "Thanks Bill, but I'd like to go home."

Had I not been a vampire I might not have heard the rapid intake of breath from Sam. My eyes searched his face. "Sook, you died. They read your will. Your house is now, well, it's Jason's house."

"He will give it back," Pam said with certainty.

"Your brother is not at home at present, Sookie, or I'm sure he would invite you in to your old home. For now, we will return to my home in Shreveport. It will now be your home so long as you have want of it," said Eric.

"Where's Jason?" I asked.

"He left town Sook," said Sam. In his mind I saw the memory of Jason sitting by himself drinking at the bar. Still telepathic then. "He said everything here reminded him of everyone who'd left him. He didn't say exactly where he was going. I don't think he really had a fixed plan."

Eric drew me to my feet. "We will find him Sookie," he told me.

"Please," asked Pam, standing, "I would be most honoured to undertake the task of finding Sookie's brother."

Eric barely glanced at his progeny before answering, "Go."

Pam shot out Bill's front door like a rocket had been lit under her. I did happen to notice the large smile that spread across her face as she left. Pleased to be relieved? Pleased to be given an active task? Pleased I was back? Pleased to get out of my company, or Eric's? Oh well, one to ponder later.

"Shall we?" asked Eric.

"We shall," I told him. "Sam are you sure you are OK?" I asked round Eric's large frame.

Sam nodded to me, "I'm staying at Jason's place for now. I'll be fine."

I noted that he didn't invite me there. I wouldn't have wanted to go home with a hungry vamp baby who'd viciously attacked me an hour previously either. I tried not to let my sadness or disappointment show.

"Sook?" Sam called, bringing me out my reverie (a word of the day from quite some time ago – perhaps my memory was slightly more acute than normal), "There's no light safe place at Jason's that I know of, and no True Blood. But come visit me soon, OK?"

"Thanks Sam, and thanks Bill. I don't want to think about what might have happened if you hadn't come out to the cemetery tonight," I told him. He nodded with a kind smile. "You're looking well."

"Your grandfather kindly offered some assistance with my poisoning after your funeral," he told me.

Niall nodded in his usual grave and sage manner. Sage? Crivens, perhaps I'd swallowed an encyclopaedia when confronted with the big white light.

"I was remiss not to have offered my aid in the first instance, given this one's willingness to fight in your defence. In my defence I will only offer that I was slightly preoccupied at the time," Niall said, perhaps more to Bill than to me. He continued, definitely talking to me now, "I am glad to see you are still of the earth, my dear. I worry that things will not be quite as with the normal way of things for you now, what with your heritage and my having given you the Breath. Eric has my new card, vampire or not, you are my living kin and may call on me at any time."

Another tear escaped me. The significance of Niall's attention to me wasn't lost on me when I was human. The fact that as the ruler of all the Fae he was still willing to consort with me as a vampire left me speechless.

"Vampire, _you_ can thank me later," he said to Eric's back before he poofed right out of Bill's living room.

I let Eric lead me out. I may have lifted a True Blood or two from the table on my way out.


	5. Chapter 5

**I don't own these characters! See Charlaine Harris' works for their original awesomeness!**

Eric took me in his arms on Bill's porch and we flew to the outskirts of Shreveport in silence. I was glad for the time to process. We landed on the terrace of a penthouse apartment in a modern building. Eric moved to the French door and popped a flap open on one of the paneled sidings. He entered a code on the series of buttons below and the door slid open.

He stepped aside to motion me to enter and I hesitated before crossing the threshold onto the cream marble floor. "Eric, I'm filthy," I simply said, looking down over my mangled mud smeared sundress to my dirty bare feet.

Eric's reply was simply to lift me bridal style and transport us both to the master bathroom. Under the bright light I noted that a lot of my muck had transferred to him. The bathroom was pristine. The pink veined marble floor continued through here with darker green and white tiled walls. There was a spacious shower with a large waterfall head and a corner bathtub with some jets. The far wall was one floor to ceiling mirror. I was pleased to note the existence of my reflection but quickly averted my eyes from the disgusting mess looking back at me.

There was no toilet in here. Obviously not an apartment designed for human visitors. What did it matter anyway? I wouldn't need one. I wouldn't ever need to pee again. This thought led me to the thought of no periods _ever again _and I momentarily felt a little happy dance coming on before the next thought slammed into me like a freight train: I would definitely never be having a child.

I hadn't wanted one, had I? I didn't want any child to suffer a repeat of my miserable childhood. A childhood full of other people's idiotic or inappropriate thoughts, or being branded a loon for trying to mask the impulsive responses to whatever is being heard with that other sense. I didn't want my child ostracized and seeking the often dangerous company of vampires. No, I hadn't wanted a child in my life. Surprising how differently you can feel about something though when you no longer have the luxury of choice.

I don't know how long I'd been standing following this trail of thought but Eric stood patiently watching me. Courtesy of the bond he was along for the ride on Sookie's emotional roller coaster.

"I'm sorry," I said to him. "It's a lot, you know?"

He nodded his head solemnly, "I remember."

He stood in front of me and reached for the zipper on the side of my dress. "I chose this dress because you were wearing it the day you walked into my world." He slid the zipper down to my waist.

"I think it may have to be walked straight into the trash now."

"What were you thinking of before?" he asked. "You were so happy and then so very unhappy."

"I was just going over some of the pros and cons," I replied. "No toilet here. I guess this isn't somewhere you expected human visitors."

"This isn't my home, that is, it isn't the house that is to be our home. This is a sort of emergency residence. It is only accessible from the roof terrace and so rather difficult for anyone to surprise me at home. Our true home needs some work."

He raised his hands to my forehead and ghosted his fingertips down the sides of my face and I saw it, the house in question. It was a white panelled newish construction with a large double garage and a well-manicured lawn. Inside the garage was his precious cherry red Corvette. Inside the house was well, trashed. Broken glass, broken furniture, smashed bottles of synthetic blood all over the kitchen.

"Holy Moly, Eric!" I exclaimed, "What in the world happened to your house?"

At that Eric took a hasty step back, succinctly ending the physical contact. The image immediately faded from my vision. It was like someone turning off a telly. Suddenly I was terrified that whatever I had just done was very wrong and that I was about to be dealing with an angry vampire sheriff.

Eric surprised me by laughing. "I'm sorry Sookie, I should have realised that we might be dealing with some enhancements to our bond, or your telepathy, or both. I really wish you hadn't seen the current state of my humble abode though," he looked genuinely abashed.

"We put you in the ground where Victor fell, hoping that his dust in the ground you rested in would ensure you would rise, if you were meant to do so. I sat waiting for you each night, going to ground near you. When you didn't rise…" he trailed off.

Pain lashed at me again through the bond. It must have shown on my face because Eric hurried on.

"I went through every stage of loss in no particular order," he sighed heavily. "I hit out at everyone, blamed them, blamed myself, screamed and cried. I took you from the ground and cleaned you, dressed you and as the dawn came I gave you to your brother to bury with your family. I had this notion that I would stand by your grave to say goodbye as you departed for heaven before I met the true death. Everyone came to your funeral."

In case I didn't believe him Eric took my hand and I saw. Everyone from Bud Dearborn to Maxine Fortenberry turned out. I caught a fleeting glimpse of my brother and he looked broken. I hoped to God Pam found him quickly. I nodded to Eric to continue.

"Niall came to your funeral and pulled me aside. He told me that you had not appeared to him or Jason and so he believed that you were not finished with this world. I don't know what he interpreted from the look I gave him, but it gave him cause to bind me."

"He tied you up?" I asked, confused.

Eric let out a chuckle. "He said that you would not forgive him if you returned to find I had 'pulled an infernal Romeo' and to forgive him but it was for my own good. A binding from someone of his power means that you are bound to their will for a particular period of time. I understand it requires great power and sustained energy for the duration. Niall's will was for me to continue to exist until you returned to me.

I was furious as you can imagine. I suffered. I imagined that in his own grief he was punishing me for losing you and that I would spend eternity without you. I flew and flew until the night was over but just as the sun was about to come up I found myself in my house. I tried to walk into the day but the windows and door were magically sealed until first dark. I tried to stake myself with bits of broken furniture but each time I tried the wood would disintegrate in my hand. Each day followed much the same pattern of events until I felt you wake."

"I'm going to have to think up an almighty Christmas present for him this year. A Walmart hamper just ain't gonna cut it," I said gently and he smiled weakly in return. I couldn't imagine the frustration Eric must have felt. "I suspect you haven't fed in some time," I said to him, remembering that he had been incarcerated by De Castro for some time before the incident with Sam's trailer (I would not think on it as the day I was murdered by Victor). I handed him the True Blood I had brought with me from Bill's place. "Heat these, we'll clean up and then we'll go get some more."

"Will True Blood satisfy you?" he asked with slight incredulity.

"No, it's not great. In fact it tastes like ash but I've already lived with the aftermath of mauling my best friend tonight so I'm not up for experimenting."

He nodded and left the room. He'd be back in under a minute unless he realised my need for a few minutes alone. I braved the face in the mirror. My hair was clumped in muddy chunks. I had dried blood all round my eyes and ears. I had synthetic blood stains on my lips and round my teeth. I'd have to ask Pam for tips on drinking that stuff without wearing it.

I opened my mouth. I thought about blood, pulsing away under someone's skin. Nothing happened. I changed tack. I recalled the first time I'd walked in on Eric and his award worthy ass and the shower sex that followed. Sure as day, two gleaming pearl white fangs emerged from my gums. It didn't hurt. It tingled a bit, and then a bit more as I concentrated on how bad Sam's blood had tasted and they retracted. I repeated the process a few times and this was how Eric found me.

He looked pinker. In fact he looked vibrant, even his hair looked back to its shiny self. He smiled as he held out a warm bottle for me. "There was a six pack in the fridge," he said by way of explanation. "There's a few left."

"It's actually more bearable warm," I told him, in between gulps.

"Bill didn't…"

I shook my head, "No, he just wanted me to get something down so he could go scrape Sam off the cemetery floor. I could have killed him, Eric."

"Lover, no one deserves to wake alone, much less in a coffin."

"Lucky for me it was pretty brittle."

"No," he shook his head, "You're just a lot stronger than you used to be."

"How will we know if Victor was my maker?"

"Bite me," was all he said.

I sprang at Eric, fangs fully distended. I didn't think about it. I couldn't form a thought. It was as if my limbs didn't belong to me. But as my lips made contact with his neck something changed and I came to myself. I was immediately still. I kissed his throat gently and looked up at him.

"I don't think Victor was your maker, Lover. I can't smell even the faintest hint of his scent in your blood. What's stranger is that you still smell like you. Sweet. Fae. I think a combination of Niall's Breath and my blood lingering in your system may have been what brought you over. Your blood may want to obey me but you seem to have retained your own stubborn sense of free will."

It made sense to me and it was oh, such good, good news to think that I would not have to bend to the whim of some evil maker. To celebrate I exercised some free will and divested Eric of his shirt. Very quickly there was a very dirty pile of clothes in one corner and we were under the spray of the shower.

The warm water felt amazing as it heated my skin. It reminded me of the way the heat of the sun used to warm me to my bones. Perhaps I'd have to look into steam rooms to get my extended warmth fix. As Eric's hands lathered and cleared patches of mud from my skin I realised I was very much paler than I'd ever been in my life. Goodbye sweet tan. No more wearing white for me. At least I could stop worrying about the inevitable skin cancer.

My hair had to be washed and rinsed four times before it was blonde and clump free. Eric didn't seem to mind the hard labour. I could feel his sheer joy in the bond. Every time his skin made contact with mine I caught glimpses of myself through his eyes. The way he saw me made my still heart break. To him, I was flawless. I was his.

When I was finally free of every particle of Sweet Home Cemetary, Eric drew me out of the shower and patted my skin dry with a large dark green towel. A part of me was sorely disappointed not to have put his shower to its full and best use but when he gently suggested more blood I almost drooled at the prospect.

I was sat on a barstool in a kitchen that pretty much consisted of a breakfast bar, a stainless steel microwave and a bright red Smeg fridge when Eric's phone rang.

"Yes?" he answered as I nursed my fifth bottle of blood for the night. There was a whir of information from the other end of the line. "Deal with it as you see fit. I do not wished to be disturbed with such paltry matters," he said, terminating the call.

"Lover, I have much to share with you. However, I have lived without you too long and so, if you have had your fill of the vile stuff, I must take you to bed."

I popped the now empty bottle on the counter top and made an exaggerated display of delicately removing any blood traces from the edges of my mouth. "Mr Northman," I said, extending my arms to him, and giving him my new fangy smile, "I am yours."

**A/N - Thank you for the reviews! I'm Scottish but I've set my processor to American spelling. Please forgive the resulting crude mix of British and American spelling!**


	6. Chapter 6

**Thanks to Charlaine Harris for generously allowing others to play with her characters and world.**

Eric led me to a light tight room and as we entered a few lamps came on and the light grew.

"They're on motion sensors so they go off when I die for the day. Being immortal gives you heightened environmental concerns," he explained.

I nodded to him and crossed to the large sleigh bed in the middle of the room. The comforter was soft and the mattress firm. Its sheer size and the dark wood screamed Viking to me. Eric hadn't moved from the doorway.

"The code to this room is 1402," he told me. St Valentine's day, I could remember that. "The entire apartment is fitted with light tight shutters on timers."

I nodded again. The important vampire related information imparted, Eric crossed the room in two strides and kissed me.

Ladies and gentlemen, when you're being kissed by one Eric Northman, there are advantages to not having to breathe. When I did draw breath it was to take in his scent. Smells were not prominent to me as a human. I wasn't the kind of person who related a particular aroma to an event. I remember liking a particular perfume or cologne, disliking the smell of a trash can that had been standing in the sun or high school science experiments with ammonia. As a vampire though, everything was memorable and defined. Eric's smell triggered a recall in my mind similar to the sense of hearing a familiar tune.

I had never given much thought to it before, but if you'd asked me a week ago to characterise intimate relations between two vampires, I probably wouldn't have said tender, reverent or gentle. When Eric made love to me though that was exactly what it was. We nipped each other's shoulders and climaxed clung to each other.

Eric was stroking my back absent-mindedly with me cuddled into his chest as the dawn approached. I tried not to focus in on the odd images I was getting from his head courtesy of the skin to skin contact. I could feel a tiredness looming but it wasn't from any physical need.

"What's with Pam?" I asked him sleepily.

"Hmm?" he said, affecting not to understand.

"You know what I mean, Eric."

There was a long silence while he obviously considered how to tell me something that would displease me. Meanwhile I was getting the silent movie version straight from his head.

"She bore the brunt of my anger at your presumed passing," he finally said.

"It wasn't Pam's fault," I told him.

"I know that now. I guess I knew it then too. It is much easier to be rational about recent events with you here safely in my arms. Everyone who could reasonably have been blamed was already finally dead. I am not terribly reasonable when struck with grief."

"You need to make it right," I told him and I felt him shrug.

"I cannot afford to lose my one vampire girlfriend because there's weirdness between her and my husband," I told him. "I might not have too many fans among my human friends now that I'm one of the undead. I'm going to need her."

"I find it pleases me to hear you refer to me as your husband, wife. I would not let Pam hear you calling her your girlfriend though. She might get a little excited at the prospect."

"Yeah, well she will usually willfully misunderstand me. And we are married in vampire terms, and now we're both vampires so I guess I have to go with my new conventions."

"I will mend the bridges, dear one," he said, stroking my hair back from my face. "Now sleep, I can feel the pull of the sun."

I closed my eyes and drifted into what I would have termed sleep, had I not known any better. Oddly enough, I dreamt.

I had a dream about Sam being mauled in the cemetery by Quinn. There was blood everywhere and I just stood by and watched as my old friend held out his hand to me in a pleading gesture. I didn't need to be an astrophysicist to discern my feelings of guilt in the subtext of that one.

Next, I dreamt of Hunter, Hadley's son. He was running in the park at dusk. The park was lined with trees and as the shadows lengthened I noted that the vampires of my acquaintance, along with those I knew to already be altogether dead, were waiting among them for the sun to set. As it did, it was I myself who led the charge out of the woods toward the crying form of my little cousin. It wasn't me but Victor who reached him first and sank fangs into his delicate little throat.

With that I jolted upright in bed. The lights slowly filled the room with their soft glow. I had no idea what the time was. My overwhelming relief at having woken to find that I was not joining an attack on a defenseless little boy gave way to surprise at finding Eric still dead for the day. At his age I would have expected him to awaken earlier than I.

Longing to shake the image of a dying Hunter from my head, I got out of bed and hopped into one of Eric's shirts. I was going to have to give some worry to clothing later. Maybe there were a few of Pam's things here I could have a rummage for, but first things first I had to go heat up a blood. I felt like I'd tried to gargle with a desiccant.

I punched in Eric's code and groped on the other side of the door for a light switch. True to his word, black shutters lined all the windows in the apartment. There were two bloods left in the fridge and I popped one in the microwave.

As the liquid sluggishly entered my system I felt a momentary disgust with myself. I was a vampire. Some of my friends were going to hate me. Tara sprang to mind. She wasn't going to want me anywhere near her babies. As to that dream, what in God's name had it meant? Was I better placed to protect Hunter and his secret now that I was a vampire or was I inadvertently going to endanger him? I prayed not but I suspected God might not be too keen on hearing from me these days.

I walked over to the shutters and placed my hand on the cool metal. Had I really imagined they might be warm from the sun? What I wouldn't give to be standing on that pretty terrace, admiring the view, feeling the vitamin D sinking in, smelling the scent from the potted lavender, hearing the birds.

If I closed my eyes and if I focused hard enough I could remember it: the warm feeling all the way down to my bones. Would my human memory of the warmth of the Louisiana summer always be so fresh? I swear I could smell the heat, traffic and a street vendor's hotdogs some thirty stories down.

What a strange thing to imagine.

I opened my eyes and found myself actually standing on Eric's terrace, blinded by the sun.

**A/N: This is my first attempt so stay with me and I promise I'll try to work up to actual lemons :-)**


	7. Chapter 7

**I don't own nothing!**

Well, colour me purple if this wasn't just the greatest 'Oh Shit Moment' of my existence so far.

I plastered myself against the glass door, broke open the plastic casing for the control pad and frantically typed 1402 in. Nothing happened. I tried a bunch of other combinations; my birthday, Independence Day, St Patrick's and Christmas. I mentally cursed that I didn't know of any particularly Scandinavian holidays. I tried to hurl myself at the glass with no result. Trust Eric to find vampire-proof glass for his penthouse bunker.

There was no shade. At least it didn't hurt. I sank down and curled into as small a ball as possible, covering my head with my arms. I hyperventilated. Well, why not? It's not like I needed the air. I didn't know how I got here, much less how to get back inside. Most of all, I couldn't believe that I would be leaving Eric alone again, so soon after coming back to him. I had seen what he had suffered and now I was leaving him again, this time with a big dirty Sookie shaped smear on his rooftop decking.

"Goodbye, I love you," I whispered and tried to find peace in the fact that my time in the existence I hadn't wanted was going to be short lived. To think that the loss of the sun was one of my largest objections to becoming a vampire – how ironic.

I don't know at what point I started counting in my head but it didn't take me too long to establish that if I was burning to a crisp I was taking my own sweet time about it. I chanced a glance at my hand. There was not so much as a blister on my alabaster skin. I drew back the sleeve of Eric's shirt and my exposed arm did not catch fire.

I'd seen the fangs. I had crawled out of my own grave. I was killed by a vampire. I was pretty sure I was a vampire. Not that I was ungrateful that I wasn't turning to toast, but I was confused as hell.

I stood up and set myself down again in the chair swing. It was a large comfortable pillow on top of a rattan style circular seat, supported by strong wooden beams in the shape of a giant tripod. The wood looked weathered but sturdy. I positioned myself in the centre of the swing and sat back. It swung round in gentle circles and I looked up at the sky. It was late afternoon, I couldn't guess the exact time but I'd guess there was at least another hour to go until sunset.

I wondered what time Eric would rise. I'm sure he'd told me before that he woke before the sun went down because he was so old. I wondered if my concept of age might change drastically now that I was bulletproof. I'd seen vampires die. I knew that immortality was only good if no one wanted to drive a long pointy bit of wood into you, or to slice off your head with something sharp and equally pointy. I considered whether or not all phallic symbols might be bad for one's immortal health and chuckled.

I hoped Eric wouldn't give himself an aneurism when he woke to find me gone. I wondered if we might be able to find a little peace together before some vampire head honcho tried to kill us for murdering a monarch and his minions. I thought about the Queen's trial at the summit. Would Eric and I have to defend ourselves to the Ancient Pythoness? How would we convince her that Eric was trying to protect me from a homicidal power junkie who was directly violating his King's protection order over me? Would my being dead help just a little?

I swallowed that sarcastic thought and I felt Eric come to life in the bond. Oddly, I didn't feel him panic. I just felt a crushing sadness. I paced the terrace. If only I had a cell phone I might be able to call him, reassure him I'm alright, that I haven't left him. I raised my hand to bang on the door but quickly thought better of it. I might be toast proof but Eric certainly wouldn't fare well if he threw open his doors to the day.

I tried again to work out how I'd come to be on this side of the door. I'd been standing thinking about standing in the sun. Had I wished to be outside on the terrace?

I tried wishing I was back in bed with Eric and counted to three. Nope, still stuck on the terrace. Eric's sadness was crushing now. I sent him all the love and reassurance I could through the bond.

His sadness was replaced by momentary confusion, and then more despair. Jesus Christ Sheppard of Judea this was getting old fast.

Finally after what felt like days, the sun set. It was very pretty but I was too het up to care much. I was practically dancing around like the proverbial cat. The shutters started to raise in the apartment and I started banging on the glass in earnest. Several moments later a befuddled Eric appeared in the lounge and looked at me as if I was a ghost. _'Come on, hon, open the door!'_

"Eric Northman, open this damned door!" I yelled out loud.

That did it - Eric was heading over in earnest. As soon as the door opened he crashed into me, dragging me inside with him. "Lover, what the… are you hurt? I thought… I thought I dreamt and you were… really gone… burns?" he gasped as his hands started running over my bare legs and down my arms, making sure I wasn't singed.

"Eric, I am so sorry. I woke up and had a blood and the next thing I was outside on the terrace."

He hugged me to him so hard. He had woken and thought last night was a dream. "I felt you in the bond but thought my mind was playing with me, that I had finally snapped and gone mad with sorrow."

I hugged him back. I had felt everything he felt along with him. I knew. He pulled back a little and took a long slow steadying breath, looking at me intently. "Explain again, please," he said.

So I did. I told him about wanting the blood, being surprised I was awake before him, thinking about being outside in the sun and feeling the warmth and then actually being there in it and not turning to cinders.

"It sounds a lot like teleportation. Your fairy genes seem to have become more powerful since your transformation. It might be worth mentioning to Niall. I thought only full blooded fae could teleport," he said when I'd finished.

"Oh, the 'poofing' thing?" I quipped with excitement.

He smiled indulgently at me and quirked an eyebrow. It was a gesture more fitting on Pam's features but I elaborated anyway, "It's how I term that thing that Niall and Claude do when they just appear somewhere and then disappear again."

"Well then my dear, yes, I'd have to say it appears you can now 'poof'. It might be wise though not to attempt to 'poof' anywhere anytime soon until Niall can give you some pointers on how it works and what its limitations might be. It was exceptionally lucky that you took no harm from the sun but then, as a new vampire, you are surprising me at every turn. I've always assumed the day-walking legends were just that. It's the holy grail of vampirism."

"Maybe I'm not a vampire?" I hedged.

"Vampires are magical creatures. The Fae are too. We live on the blood and you seem to crave it now. Fae are inherently gifted as are you. The Sky Fae thrive in the sun and it appears you still need it. I don't know if it is your heritage or Niall's Breath but I think we should contact him soon."

"Even undead I'm a freak," I sighed.

"You're unique and lovely and I love you," Eric told me sincerely. "Just don't go all sparkly on me, okay?"

I swatted him playfully. "Douche bag. We need a plan. I need clothes and possibly another shower, not necessarily in that order. And I need to know how much trouble we are in over the Felipe/Victor fiasco."

Eric's phone beeped. "Well, a shower can be arranged so long as I can join you, Pam's got an outfit or two in the spare room and then it seems we need to head to Fangtasia."

We followed the plan. We dallied a little in the shower to share an orgasm or four but I reasoned Eric was taking care of my vampire needs. Pam's 'emergency residence' wardrobe consisted of a long black backless Morticia-esque number, no doubt one of her costumes for 'enthralling the vermin', and a pale blue pair of yoga pants and a matching sweater. Until I was formally allocated my hours at Fangtasia for enthralling duties I felt entitled to opt for comfort. Pam's feet unfortunately were about two sizes bigger than mine but Eric assured me he'd have someone bring me some in the correct size later. As we would be flying there, it didn't matter too much.

It was around an hour later that we arrived at the employee entrance of Fangtasia. The onslaught of human brain activity never ceased to knock me sideways after any period of relative quiet but I found my new improved shields quite effective. I slammed them down and felt a relaxed smile fall across my face. Maybe I'd never need to be 'Crazy Sookie' again.

I entered Eric's office behind him and thanks to my new mental defenses, was blindsided when I was accosted by strong arms from behind.


	8. Chapter 8

**Thank you to the wonderfully talented Charlaine Harris for generously allowing others to play in her world with her fabulous characters.**

I might have mentioned it before, but a vampire brain works a lot faster than a regular human one. Although my first instinct was to lob my attacker across the room, the heat coming off the arms surrounding me told me my attacker was likely human or shifter. Eric had not so much as tensed a muscle and had continued walking to his desk. I was about to drop my shields when I noticed Pam sitting on the couch.

"I tracked this one to Hawaii and given his reputation, expected to find him balls deep in some bikini clad blood bag," she said. "Imagine my surprise when I found him alone, inebriated, on a beach singing 'Somewhere over the (fucking) Rainbow' of all things."

I smiled. It was Jason who was hugging me koala style. He now had his head on my shoulder, his eyes still shut tight. "Be thankful, at least he can hold a tune," I told Pam. Eric stifled a chuckle. Yep, he'd definitely heard me killing a tune once or twice.

"They're kind of big on Iz down there," Jason piped up, releasing me.

I turned to face him and then we were hugging again. "Christ Sook, I never thought I'd see the day when I'd be delighted to see you as a vampire," he whispered to me, probably afraid of insulting the present company. He may as well have been shouting it though. I might need to teach him a few things about vampires for his own good sometime soon.

My brother did not look like a well man. He had dark rims around his eyes and he'd lost some weight. The effect was to make his face more angular and his usual butt hugging jeans sag somewhat.

"Jeez," I said, "Did everyone stop eating in my absence?" It was a paltry attempt at lightening the mood but I was genuinely concerned.

"Please don't ever leave me again, Sis," he said, pulling back and smoothing my hair where he'd mussed it. His face was wet with tears and he tried to brush them off discretely. I got straight from his head that he didn't want Eric and that cute Pam thinking he was a pussy.

I tried not to let my amusement show but by God I loved my idiotic, hair-brained brother and his ridiculous sense of pride. As I looked past Jason to Pam I suddenly noted the silence and tension surrounding our little sibling bubble of celebration. I looked at Eric squarely and pointedly rolled my eyes in Pam's direction. "I'm taking my skinny ass brother to feed him up over at that dodgy looking all night diner over the way. Come find us when you're done with business."

"Lover, I am not comfortable being so far separated from you for now."

I raised my eyebrows at him and then just strode right up to the elephant in the room. "I get that and I won't be far, or gone long, but I'm not coming back till you two fix 'this'," I did a little squiggly thing with my fingers between them. I ushered Jason out the door and then turned to give Pam a wink, "Good to see you, Pammie," I said, and then left her to her maker.

Once Jason had two cheeseburger specials in front of him he finally took his eyes off me. "Will Pam be alright?" he asked me.

"With Eric?" I asked.

"Hm," he said taking a large bite of his burger. It was a quarter-pounder, literally dripping with cheese. The juice from the tomato and pickles started running down his hand as he brought the burger back to his lips. He barely chewed before he swallowed the second mouthful whole and continued, "He was a real bitch to everyone after the fight."

I noticed Jason wasn't referring directly to my dying either. He picked up a fistful of fries. The harsh electric light in here coupled with the cheap white tiles on the walls were doing nothing for my new skin tone but it made the still red hot fries glisten. I should probably have had more blood before we left Fangtasia. When was this ridiculous hunger going to abate? Thankfully the diner wasn't crowded. I didn't have anyone terribly close at hand to sink my teeth into and I wasn't about to chow down on my brother.

"He knows he was in the wrong. Pam will forgive him. He'll make a ridiculously extravagant gesture to make amends," I told him while he started on burger two. Some more fries were dunked in the little paper pot of mayonnaise.

I tried to shake myself out of it but watching my brother consume his food like he hadn't eaten in days was making me simply ravenous. I felt my fangs pop down.

Glad I was incapable of blushing I picked up the little laminated card menu and pretended to be engrossed in something on the pudding side. Jason was so focused on the task at hand he didn't even raise an eyebrow.

"You go anywhere nice other than Hawaii on your travels?" I asked him. I would get this under control. We'd soon be back at Fangtasia and I could ask the nice new bartender for a warm blood. Could vampires suffer from low blood, well, blood?"

Jason picked up his tumbler of Coke and downed a long swig. He wiped his mouth with the back of his hand and set it back down in front of him. Condensation bubbled on the glass and ran in little rivers down onto the plastic table cover. Jason was wittering about his brief tour of Mexico and his first plane journey but I could hardly hear him. I put down the menu and sat on my hands. I've been able to withstand Ben and Jerrys while on my period, I would get through another twenty minutes in this diner. If I didn't get a grip soon, Eric was going to wonder what my turmoil was all about and come barging through the door.

I had no sooner thought the thought than Eric and Pam entered the diner, poised for a fight and scanning the room for a threat. Well at least they were back to being a united front.

In that moment hunger overpowered me. Eric looked at me in a panic, feeling my sudden ferocious need and the collapse of the willpower I'd been grasping tightly. Even with vampire speed he couldn't get to me fast enough to protect me from myself.

**A/N - Thank you for the kind reviews!**


	9. Chapter 9

**I own nothing but a small box of mince pies. **

In one fluid movement I had Jason's wrists in my hands, dragging him over the booth toward me and sinking my long sharp fangs into his moist juicy cheeseburger.

Eric slid to a stop at my side and without coming between me and the object of my desire, he gently freed Jason from my death grip. Jason all but threw himself out the booth.

"What the fuck, Sook?" he shouted at me as I demolished the ends of the burger and started on his fried pickles. Jason wasn't one to share food. However, as his indignation gave way to the oddity of the situation, he joined Pam and Eric in watching me eat through every damn thing on the table.

When I was done I let out a satisfying belch and looked up at the three spectators of Sideshow Sookie. I came back to myself seeing the stunned expression on their open mouthed faces, covered my face with my hands and burst into tears.

"No, no, no, Sookie," Eric started, getting into the booth beside me and pulling me into his arms.

"I'm (sob), I'm (hick), a freak!" I wailed.

He shushed and soothed me and rubbed my back.

"Well I see what you mean about surprising," said Pam, sitting down opposite us.

"Will she be alright? She won't be sick or anything right?" asked Jason.

"I don't think so," said Eric, "I think she'll be fine."

"OK," said Jason mollified. Never one to cope well with weeping women he moved himself off to the counter to order up a replacement meal.

"What's wrong with me?" I cried into Eric's chest. Realising I was totally ruining one of his favourite shirts I tried to at least stem the flow of bloody tears if not hold back the ungainly hiccupping sobs. I grabbed up some napkins and tried to mop up my face. Eric took them from me and started dabbing at my cheeks with a little more precision.

"I think, Lover," he began gently, "that we may have to consider the possibility that you are not in fact a vampire. Well not totally anyway." His voice dropped to the faintest whisper. "You can wake in the day and walk in the sun. You have a requirement for both blood and human food and have several distinctly Fae attributes."

Pam for the first time in our acquaintance seemed rendered speechless. I did some more processing. Maybe I could make it into a national sport.

Eric took out his sleek red cell phone and started tapping away at the screen. A second later he held the phone to his ear. "This is Eric Northman and I have urgent business with Niall Brigant." There was a pause of several seconds while some errand boy or girl obviously ran around (or possibly 'poofed' here and there) with the phone in their hand looking for their boss.

"How come you get put through to him and I always have to leave a message?" I huffed.

Eric smiled but lifted a finger for me to hold that thought. "Niall, Eric here. There have been some surprising developments in Sookie's condition. I think it would be best if you met us as soon as possible. I fear she may need your guidance in order to remain safe." Eric paused for Niall to speak.

"We can be in my office at Fangtasia within ten minutes," he continued and then he put his phone back in his pocket.

"Do all supes have such poor phone etiquette?" I asked.

"When you live long enough you come to appreciate others who are informative, succinct and brief," was all Eric replied in return. "We must return to the office to meet with him," he continued, rising out of the booth just as Jason was returning with what looked like two more portions of the cheeseburger special.

Jason smiled a little sheepishly, "I got an extra in case you were still hungry."

"Thanks Jase," I said, wrangling out a smile. I could definitely eat more.

Eric looked a fraction concerned. "You aren't feeling any ill effects?"

"Nope," I said, popping my 'p'. "Though I guess I can wait a bit before eating some more, just to be on the safe side," I added.

"Just don't wait to the point you need to mug some poor kid for their candy," cracked Jason.

I nodded. "We need to go meet with Niall, you coming?" I asked him, unsure whether he might not want to see the Grandfather that was still so dismissive of him or whether he might just want to sit and eat the rest of his supper unmolested.

Jason looked down at his food. "You can eat in the bar, if you wish, so long as you save some food for your sister," Eric told him.

And with that settled we headed back across the way.

Jody, one of the waitresses I actually liked (because I once caught from her that she was here to support her baby girl and because the tips were good, not because she had a penchant for being bitten) bumped into us on our way in the employee door. She stood back aghast and staring. I was about to take offence when Pam whispered, "Powder room," in my ear and I remembered the state my face was likely to be in post minor meltdown.

I quickly headed to the little washroom at the far end of the store cupboard and when I arrived back to Eric's office, freshly scrubbed clean, he was already seated in deep discussion with Niall.

"Ah, there is my Grandchild," he said, standing and opening his arms to me.

I went to him and hugged him. I breathed in the lovely comforting aura that I had come to hold so dear as a calming force. "Do I smell any differently to you, my dear?" he asked me.

"No," I told him.

"Then I believe your bonded to be accurate in his assumption that you are not entirely vampire. At the very least, you are as much full blooded Fae as you are vampire."

"You were worried I might find you smelling tasty?" I asked him.

"Well, according to the first hand reports your appetite is quite extensive these days," he chuckled.

"If I'm half Fae how come Pam and Eric haven't wanted to drain me?" I challenged. After a quick look at Eric's face I qualified that with, "No more than usual anyway."

Niall shrugged. "To them your scent is no more Fae than when you were human. Just as to me, you smell no more of vampire now than you did when you were human and in the habit of ingesting their blood."

"So she could sensibly pass as either?" Eric hedged.

"Perhaps," Niall thought, wearing his best ponderous expression. "To most she may seem much as she ever was. She has been living with a foot in the human world and the other in the supernatural one for some time. Basking in the sun by day and yet living for the night."

Much as I agreed with Niall's assessment of things an errant thought began gnawing at me. It grew arms and legs quickly and then I performed a truly vampire act. I cussed, "Shit!"

That had the rapt attention of both men.

"When I was the human part-fae telepath I was a target for all the vamps that wanted to use me. Now I'm a half fairy vampire. I'm going to have a whole second set of species out to get me," I squeaked.

"Lover, you have already once been the target of the Fae," said Eric solemnly.

"I suppose, but that was just me caught in the crossfire as a bargaining chip with torturous benefits. The Fae abhor vamps and vamps want to eat the Fae into extinction. This is not good!" I complained.

"My dear," soothed Niall, "You have never consorted with Fae by choice out-with the sphere of your relations and Faery is now sealed to all others. The vampires must respect you now as one of their own and as their…"

Eric cut Niall off abruptly, "I am most concerned about the incidence of Sookie's new ability to teleport. This could have resulted terribly for her today and I think she needs to be instructed in the use of this new found power before it leads her into harm's way."

Niall raised his eyebrow at Eric and then nodded. "Teleporting works to a simple premise for beginners," he said. "You imagine yourself where you want to be: build the image around you and then you will be there. It is best not to travel to places you have not seen first-hand and are not familiar with. If the image you connect to is inaccurate you may end up somewhere you did not intend to be. Later, much later, you may select a person and teleport to them, wherever they may be, though sometimes even the best of us end up merely in the close vicinity of our intended target this way."

Sounds simple enough.

I was about to ask him how best to go about practicing when I heard a great upheaval in the bar. I threw out my other sense and realised quickly that there were many more voids than there would normally be vampires in Fangtasia at any one time, and that the humans were departing quickly.

Niall could obviously also hear the calamity next door whether with his hearing or some other skill and he looked at Eric. "The Ancient Pythoness has come for an audience with the King," he said with some humour. With that Niall chose to be someplace else and poofed right on out of there. I wasn't sure whether that should make me worry.

I studied Eric's calm exterior and felt a vague tinge of panic which I'm almost certain was coming from him. "Something you want to share with me, hubby?"


	10. Chapter 10

**I don't own anything here...**

Eric opened his mouth to speak just as the door to his office opened and a highly flustered Pam said with increasing speed, "I don't think he told you yet but the Ancient Pythoness declared that Eric's punishment for killing a monarch and his second was to become the replacement King of all three territories. She declared that if war ensued and the kingdoms were scavenged over by the other ruling monarchs she would personally cut him up and burn him piece by piece to teach him nottobiteoffmorethanhecanche w."

My eyebrows drifted off in search of my hairline and Eric's face became thunderous. Apparently further explanation would have to wait. Eric began guiding me by the small of my back into the bar with Pam bringing up the rear.

"You'd get along great with Diantha," I murmured to Pam as Eric opened the door to the main area of the club.

The Ancient Pythoness, in all her wrinkly glory was sat upon an open top sedan chair to rival the Pope's Sedia Gestatoria, in the middle of Fangtasia's dance floor. Maybe she had her own Pythoness-Mobile waiting for her outside. The amused look upon her face as she looked straight at me with those white blind eyes had me concerned that I might not be the only mind reader in the room.

"You again," she said in her thick, possibly Irish, accent.

"Welcome to Fangtasia, Ma'am," I said, giving an awkward mash-up of a bow and a head bob.

"I find things are never boring when you are involved," she said, as she brushed some feathery hair from her leathery face. "Northman, I find you to be doing a piss poor job of executing the duties placed upon you by my decree."

There was a short silence and at some unspoken command, one of the Ancient Pythoness' handmaidens produced a crystal sherry glass and poured in no more than a thimble of blood from an ornate decanter. I suspected that the flavour of the day was not Japanese synthetic.

I took a second to size up the opposition. Some twenty or so vampires were present; a dozen or so handmaiden types in flowing silky robes and a handful of absolute giant males each with long dark hair and dark eyes. We were five vampires in total including the new barmaid and Indira and a couple of awestruck human stragglers who sat very much glued to their seats.

"My apologies, great lady. May I offer you and your retinue each a taste of Royalty Blended while we discuss matters?" Eric began humbly. There was an eerie silence from the attendants in the room. The Ancient Pythoness merely cocked her head to an unnatural angle in an almost eagle like manner so Eric continued.

"It is true, I have been errant in performing my duties. When Sookie failed to rise I was tormented and wished nothing more than for the true death. Had it not been for Niall I would have succeeded in my aim many times over."

"Pssht, Northman," she cried, twitching her head straight again. Her wild hair followed a second behind. The effect was curious. "Sookie is risen, what is your excuse for neglecting your obligation almost a complete week?"

Before Eric could interject she continued in a somewhat menacing breathy voice, "If she poses such a great distraction to you perhaps she should be sent back to the abyss!"

"Oi!" came a voice from behind me. Good God, Jason! "That's my sister you're talking about and I done gone and lost every other member of my family; my mama, my papa, my grandma, my uncle, Christ even my goddamn wife and unborn child."

Pam was by this point in front of Jason, trying very hard to make eye contact to glamour him into shutting the hell up but he just went on continuing to holler at the very scary ancient vampiress.

"I don't care whether you're the Great Grand-mammy of every God-damn vampire in America or just some puffed up evil empress: you lay a hand on my sister I will end you!" Jason finished, his face red and contorted, chest puffed out – was it a full moon?

My eyes danced from my poor deluded brother to the Ancient Pythoness and back again. Do I apologise for his outburst? Should Eric? No one in her company responded to the threat with so much as a change of stance or facial expression. Ominous silence prevailed.

It was broken by a rasping, choking, hissing sound. The Ancient Pythoness was dissolving into hysterics.

"Young 'un," she rasped, "I have not laughed in a century! Evil empress! Brilliant I say!"

Eric chose to intervene gently before Jason could melt in the fire of his own fury, "Ma'am, please excuse the human. The recent Fae War did indeed cost him his wife and child and the stress has left an indelible mark upon his sanity."

Jason looked at Eric as if he'd like to make a mark on him. He was busy trying to work out whether 'indelible' would be a good thing or a bad thing.

"Northman, work on your own credible excuse," she retorted. "This _panther_," she corrected, "may be the first shifter ever invited to join my court."

"As I was about to explain," said Eric, "Sookie rose only yesterday evening. I have been helping her come to terms with her new nature until now, but I have every faith that with her by my side we will restore the calm of Louisiana, Arkansas and Nevada, rule efficiently and ensure peace for our subjects."

"Yesterday evening?" the Ancient Pythoness repeated.

"Yes, ma'am," I told her. "I woke in my coffin some days after I was buried by my poor brother and husband," I added, hoping to garner some sympathy for the two people most at risk here. Oddly, knowing I could 'poof' off whenever I chose eradicated any worry I might have held for myself but I didn't know whether I could successfully take anyone with me.

"A maker-less child of seven nights' sleep," she whispered. She momentarily appeared very far away, gazing blindly at the hands in her lap, mumbling something inaudible even to my new improved hearing.

Pam took this opportunity to start making the rounds with a tray of blood and a smile for the guests. It was a nice touch but I didn't dare take my eyes off the Ancient Pythoness. I had feeling something very bad was coming, way on down in my bones.

The Pythoness flapped at stray hairs again and looked toward Eric. She sighed, as if suddenly very weary. "Northman, Brigant advises that only with you as an ally, and as the ruler of the fallen De Castro's kingdom, will the Fae forgo vengeance for the killing of their Princess. His words not mine: a ridiculous notion given she was but bit-Fae anyway. But that does not mean I cannot punish you for your insubordination."

She looked in my direction and continued with a smile on her face. She had no teeth save her fangs. "You have your Sookie now, you can have no use for your right hand."

Call me slow on the uptake but I was confused, was she taking Pam, Eric's 'right hand' woman from Eric to serve her instead? Was she looking to kill Pam to punish Eric? Then I saw the large bare chested Conan figure making his way toward Eric with a glinting silver knife and I understood that no, she was literally after Eric's right hand. The indignation of what the witch had just inferred hit me.

I looked at Eric in disbelief. Did we fight now? Run away perhaps?

He met my gaze surely and flooded the bond with reassurance. He was telling me this would be OK, he would heal and the evil empress would be appeased. He took my right hand in his left and brought it to his lips. He looked deep into my eyes - and then held out his right arm to the advancing monster.

**A/N - Thanks for the lovely reviews. Who knew a choice of condiment could spark a debate. We have ketchup this side of the pond too but here we call it sauce. I still say Jason is a mayonnaise man. Sauce is best placed elsewhere in this story anyway...**


	11. Chapter 11

**Charlaine Harris owns these wonderful characters. I'm just toying with them.**

I froze, utterly aghast at the situation. Then as Conan raised his blade something inside me snapped.

I took a rapid step in front of Eric. Whatever the knife bearer saw in my face had him flinch back. Eric's hand on mine went from comforting to restraining but I couldn't feel the contact anymore.

I started shaking. Everything from my toes to my eyelashes seemed to tremble. Conan dropped his blade. Pain ripped up my back and I fell to my knees with a cry. I got back up, pushing up off my thighs and positively growled at the assailant before me, "Get away from my bonded."

I've never seen a vampire back down before in a fight. This one did. He wasn't the only one stepping away from me though. Even Pam and Eric moved aside a few paces. I closed my eyes and started articulating my severe disgust with the situation.

"Me and mine have bled enough! I was taken by my great-grandfather's enemies and tortured within an inch of my life while my husband was bound in silver by Victor. Not two weeks into my recovery I was taken by the same piece of shit vampire who intended to do who knows what to me and kill everyone I care about to boot. I will not stand by and watch Eric punished for trying to save me, reaping vengeance on my killer or mourning me."

I was vaguely aware that my feet were no longer on the floor. The air around my head was vibrating slightly and ruffling my hair. My vision was actually red.

"I have had enough!" I shouted, enunciating each word as if I was dealing with a foreigner. "Eric said we'll take care of De Castro's kingdom and so we will. It will flourish under our reign. We will have the support of many loyal friends and the backing of my great-grandfather. We will be respected by all the other regents. Now get out and let us take care of business already."

Everyone before me cowed. Everyone except the Ancient Pythoness.

She had the gall to laugh her hissing face off again.

And then I saw myself. Not in any mirror but as Eric saw me. I was hovering about a foot off the ground and he had placed a hand on the small of my now bare back. He was actively trying to show me what he was seeing.

Red eyes without pupils rolled in my head. The effect was not dissimilar to the white eyes in the face of the evil empress. Great white wings fanned out behind me from my spine, billowing gently like an artfully serrated silk sheet. That was as much as I could take in before I collapsed on the floor.

I held my head trying to will away the rage, that image of myself as a hideous monster, and to make the world stop spinning. The cool conditioned air brushed over my back and I felt Eric drape Jason's jacket over me. Pam's torn sweater was clinging to my front by a thread. He encircled me with his arms and gently lifted me to my feet.

Oh yeah, there was still music to be faced and no time for a breakdown. How I wished I felt as badass as I had looked a moment before. Instead I felt deflated, exhausted, sad and starving.

"My sister," said the Ancient Pythoness.

Come again?

More raspy laughter.

"Fuck you," I told her.

_I am Vampire hear me cuss._

_Sorry Gran._

"That's no way to talk to family," she said.

Yeah, because we vampires were all just one big happy family!

"I don't class people who want to amputate bits of my nearest and dearest, family," I spat out.

"Leave us," she commanded of the room. "Only Eric's progeny and the panther may stay."

Everyone filed out as if in a trance save Pam and Jason. Eric gave Indira a significant look. Some humans would be going away with big holes in their evening not caused by alcohol.

The Ancient Pythoness tapped her index finger, which I had just noticed had an exceptionally long sharp finger nail on the end of it, on the arm of her chair. Then limber as a daisy, she stood up. From under slits in her brown woollen cowl topped cloak, large black wings of her own filled the space around her. She too began hovering an inch or so above her platform and her wispy hair twitched around as if she were being electrocuted.

"We Fae are not meant to consume the blood," she said. "The elder vampires did not know when they began feeding me their blood, to prolong my life to make use of my skills, that I was the half human daughter of Eoghan Brigant. I had already lived some handful of centuries and my fragile human body was ready to pass. On the day my body died the villagers put me in the ground. I rose seven nights later.

Hours after I rose I had a vision of another like me, surpassing me in all respects, rising in the same manner with no commanding maker. I did not believe that it could be you, you were so distantly Fae. Forgive me for provoking you so cruelly. I had to test my theory. I know now you have much to adjust to. Your new nature will give you every advantage but it will also make you a target for danger."

She returned to her chair and the wings retracted back under her cloak. "Northman, come to me," she commanded.

Eric went without hesitation, his arms round me replaced by Pam's.

She took his hand. Eric's face contorted and then relaxed. She appeared to be showing him something in the same manner I could see when I touched Eric.

"You must protect each other. You will have everything but not without cost," she told him. She looked toward me. "I may finally be able to retire," she mused.

She released Eric and the retinue re-appeared. They ignored us entirely and seamlessly shouldered the great portable throne and were heading for the exit. I'd seen these silent instructions before in older vampires and their children exemplified between Sophie-Ann, Andre and the Berts. She must have at least one child in the bunch.

"Farewell," she called over her shoulder. "If you ever chance to visit, remember to bring the panther with you."

With that they were gone. There had been no bloodshed. There wasn't even a skirmish. However, as the stress of the situation took its toll, all three of us looked whipped. Pam moved me to a booth and sat down beside me. Jason collected up his food and brought the remnants over and shoved them at me, managing to not quite look at me. Eric came toward us and sat down quietly.

I couldn't think on anything. I was done processing for the day. I was a not-quite-fairy not-quite-vampire hideous monster with freaking wings.

I ate cold fries. I prodded around in the half empty containers. I looked at Jason.

"You finished the mayonnaise."


	12. Chapter 12

**I don't own these characters or their world. I do have a four month old baby going through a growth spurt, hence the lack of writing (and sleep) over the last few days...**

It was only a few moments before Indira and the new bartender returned to the bar, presenting themselves at Eric's side.

"Your majesty," Indira began, addressing Eric, "It is late and we did not believe you would appreciate the returned presence of the humans so we have dispatched them. They believe us to have had a fire marshal visit for overcrowding and have been provided with complimentary passes to return another evening."

Eric's face was a blank mask. "You may both leave for now," he told her.

I watched them go. I'd have to learn the name of the new bartender before I started mentally referring to her as TNB. She was a statuesque black woman with tightly curled hair that flowed down her back to her neat waist. She wore a tapered skin hugging cream cross between a waistcoat and a corset. Fitted black leather trousers kicked out at the bottom of her long legs where I caught the flash of jeweled flip flops as she walked away. Not that she'd ever need heels with height to rival Eric. She was simply beautiful.

I realised I'd been staring and looked back at the remains of my takeout which was suddenly unappealing.

"I think I'd like a blood," I said to no one in particular.

"Allow me, lover," said Eric, going to the bar.

"She's quite stunning," remarked Pam in my ear, "though too tall for my taste. The vermin are much taken with her and she is less of a personality than Thalia. She's a spy for Stan Davies which is unfortunate. We may have to let you work your usual charms on her sooner or later."

Jason quirked an eyebrow, completely misinterpreting her.

"Relax breather," she told him, "I can hear your heart rate jumping around in indignation from over here. Your sister has a murderous history with our bar staff."

"In my defence, it's not usually me pulling the trigger," I huffed.

Eric returned with three bloods. "Jason, you must give your sister back her house," he said, taking his seat and starting on his. I'm pretty sure he hasn't looked at me since the evil empress left. It seems he can cope with daywalking, disappearing and even burger munching but bright red bug eyes and wings… not so much.

Jason just looked at Eric with his mouth open.

"You inherited Gran's place," I put in gently.

"Oh, yeah, course," he said, looking anywhere but at me. "I'll go see Portia in the morning, well," he glanced at his watch, "afternoon."

"Thanks Jason," I told him, and meant it. I know he'd been sore about Gran leaving me the farmhouse without even talking to him about it. It had been cut and dry in her mind: he'd have our parent's place and I'd have hers, and we'd both always have a home, but I think he felt it detracted from it being Gran's place. It didn't matter to me, it was as much his as mine if he ever had need of it.

Eric having finished his blood, ignored the weirdness just passed, put on his sheriff head and got down to business. "Pam, what has been done so far with regard to the kingdom?"

Pam clasped her hands on the table. The gesture would have been very school mistress but for the bottle of blood in front of her. "Thalia has been dispatched to Nevada to act as liaison and advise of any who might want to try to assume power from within the state. Maxwell Lee is gone to Arkansas to do the same. Thankfully, both report that Felipe and by extension, Victor, were not well liked and that most seem quite content with a change of regime. That being said, it seems essential that we hold a coronation or similar official event to get better acquainted with the sheriffs and high earners."

"Pamela, thank you," said Eric sincerely. Her industry and forward thinking in a time of crisis had undoubtedly held Eric the kingdom in his absence.

She nodded in acknowledgement and continued, "I was thinking perhaps the Starless Night Hotel in Baton Rouge or the Angel's Cape in Little Rock. Both could accommodate sufficient numbers."

"Let's stay on home ground," said Eric. He rubbed his thumb over his brow. "A week from today: invite the sheriffs, their consorts, the high end earners, anyone we know to be unhappy with the change, and the neighbouring monarchs plus their entourage," he added as an afterthought. "We need to establish if any close by are a threat. I will place those calls myself."

"Baton Rouge it is," said Pam. She produced a tablet device and started tapping away furiously.

"We will need to establish full time regencies," Eric mused. "I expect your recommendations. You are welcome to any if you wish to branch out with more autonomy, though I hope you will stay as executive advisor to Sookie and I."

Pam's eyes lit up a little.

Eric smiled. "Decide upon a suitable role and title of your choosing between here and next week, we will announce it at the ceremony. The sheriffs will be reporting to the regents who should in turn report to you in the first instance. "

Jason yawned audibly, "Well folks, I can see you got business to attend to. Thanks Pam, for coming out to tell me about Sook," he stood and brought his eyes to my face.

While Pam and Eric had worked out this portion of the plan for ruling a chunk of America, Jason had been reconciling losing his sister and gaining her back as a bit of a creepy Vampire Fairy Queen. He finally landed down on the side of being downright happy to see me, whatever I was and whomever's butt I was now capable of kicking. He had thought on his own monthly transformation and decided that actually, the wings and eyes weren't no big deal. I can't express how happy that made me. Now if only Eric and I could get past any weirdness.

I hugged my brother goodnight and was pleased not to be affected by the pulse of the artery in his neck. He smelled faintly of coconut oil, sweet fruit cocktails and fries.

"Jason," said Eric, as Jason made to leave.

"Yeah?"

"Sookie and I will be busy until after the ceremony. Some changes will need to be made to the farmhouse before it will be suitable as a residence for Sookie. Can we trouble you to provide access to my contractors?"

I was impressed. Eric wasn't one to ask favours of people, especially those for the most part human. Jason seemed a little stunned.

"Sure, call me when you got some time on your hands, sis. We'll go have Lafayette burgers," he said, "and you can give me my jacket back." He smiled, turned to go and stopped.

"Er, guys?" he said. "Don't suppose someone could give me a lift to Bon Temps?"

Pam shot a quick glance between Eric and I. "I'll take him. I'll go pick up some of Sookie's things from her place while I'm there," she said, sliding out the booth. "I took the liberty of sending the cleaning crew to the house so you don't have to stay at the apartment tonight."

With that she and Jason were out the door. I sank back down into the booth opposite Eric. He leaned over and took my hands in his.

"Did you mean it, lover?"

"Did I mean what exactly?"

"That we would rule… together. That you would share in this task with me?"

"I don't know much about vamp politics, but it seems as if the best way for us to stay safe and be together is to be at the highest point of the pecking order. I'll admit, it's a far cry from waiting tables in Bon Temps, but I hope someday I could be a help to you," I told him.

"You already are," he told me. He pulled us to our feet. "You know, I half expected you to tell me you were going to continue working for the Shifter."

"His name is Sam, Eric. What did she show you?"

He looked uncertain. "I'm not actually sure," he said. Even if I hadn't been holding his hand I could have still read his complete honesty. "It was a feeling, as if everything I could ever want and hope for was suddenly mine. There was a completeness and I was perfectly content. It was the moment I saw you returned to me in Bill's living room, but with that sensation stretching out before me and engulfing my every action. I think I was feeling the effects of whatever she could see."

"Oh to have foresight," I laughed dryly.

"No, what you have is more beneficial," he said sincerely. "A gift like that must be very frustrating when it cannot be controlled and does not show you the outcomes you wish to know, when you want to see them."

I thought on that a little.

"When you showed me what I was, you were horrified," I said, looking away from his eyes. "It coloured the image I got."

"Lover," he said, pulling me close. "I was afraid on two counts, firstly that she might have you attacked for being 'other', and secondly because I could see blood running down your back where the skin opened. I felt the physical pain and it looked like you had been gashed with silver. It was slow to heal considering you are so new. I was merely afraid for our safety. There is nowhere to run to far enough to hide from the Ancient Pythoness or her crones."

I felt a flood of relief wash over me. "So the food thing and the wings, they're not off putting?"

He let out a long chuckle and held me tighter still. "Now that I have seen they do not have any lasting ill effects on you I will never think twice on your changes again. They are part of who you are and I want all of you," he finished letting out a low growl.

"And I can't wait to have all of you," I told him, "but first I believe we have several Kings and Queens to contact to invite to our little shindig."

"You are going to be magnificent at this," he told me, placing a gentle kiss on my forehead.

I smiled. "You hope so. Anyway, I call dibs on Russell and Bart. I think he's almost forgiven me for leaving bits of Lorena in his pool. You can deal with our curious friend King Stan and the one Pam refers to as 'that bitch Oklahoma'," I told him.

I sensed Eric tense just fractionally. "I'll let Pam deal with Freyda. She had the audacity to visit to offer to 'comfort' me at your passing."

"In that case, I can't wait to meet her. Give me her number and I'll invite her myself. Keep your enemies close and skanks that want your husband and his kingdom closer, as I'm sure Gran would have said if she'd lived to see me a Queen."

Eric shook his head. "You are already a terribly cunning vampire."

"Who're you calling a vampire?" I chided, making light of the situation though I didn't feel it.

"Perhaps we should guard some of your talents till after the celebration," he suggested seriously as he gathered some bottles of blood into a small box.

"Stan's already going to know about them after tonight," I said.

"It is always better to know your spies. If I dismiss her, he will just send another. Maxwell Lee once belonged to Peter Threadgill. I pride myself on being able to turn spies into loyal underlings. If the spy witnesses confidence, integrity and honour then it provides a pleasant contrast to their previous employers who employed them out of insecurity, doubt and weakness."

"Do you not have any spies?" I asked innocently.

"Only when I consider myself at war," he said with a devilish grin.

"And since when have you considered us to be at war?" I laughed, knowing full well Eric had several spies.

"Since I discovered Sophie-Anne had sent Bill to procure on my territory. Perhaps more so since Rhodes."

"Then lets 'to the mattresses'," I told him, picking up the receiver on the bar's phone and posing to punch in the number.

"Lover, we need to get you a new cell," said Eric.

"Eric, I _need_ many things but for now I need some phone numbers so I can take you home and get you naked. I'm already halfway there," I reminded him, gesturing to the shredded sweater and borrowed jacket.

Within half an hour we had schmoozed and charmed four monarchs into coming to our event. Half an hour later we entered Eric's house through his garage.

I didn't see the Corvette, I didn't see the kitchen. I didn't check whether the furniture had been replaced or whether the curtains were shut.

What I did see was Eric's world class derrière and a lot of loving before the sun came up.

**Thanks for the reviews!**


	13. Chapter 13

**Charlaine Harris owns the lot! Apologies on errant updating. Both myself and my little person have been felled by winter bugs. I should be resolving my dust bunnies but this is more fun...**

I woke just after midday. Eric was dead for the day and I snuggled for a while in the crook of his arm before my belly rumbled. I padded to the main living area. Eric had received a text from Pam just before dawn saying she'd dropped off some of my things and didn't want to disturb us. I found my battered old suitcase filled with nothing but my finest and most expensive clothing. Why I expected anything else I'm not sure but as I slipped on a royal blue halter and silver suit pants I found myself longing for a pair of cut offs and a t-shirt.

Once showered and dressed, if somewhat formally, I explored Eric's house. It was open and white and spacious. Not all the broken furniture had been replaced so the place was somewhat sparsely decorated. The odd solid dark wood piece remained; a sideboard, a coffee table, an entertainment system cabinet.

His kitchen was elegant and surprisingly well equipped for a vampire. Sadly though there was no food in any of the cupboards. The fridge contained only True Blood. I heated and sank a bottle but I knew I was hungry for food, just as last night, I'd known I'd needed blood.

I raked around in my bag but didn't find my purse or any money. Eric didn't seem to have any cash lying around either. Not that I'd be happy helping myself to his money under normal circumstances but I really needed to eat. Despite the fact I had eaten both blood and food only twelve hours ago, I thought I might faint.

I decided to distract myself by working on my teleporting. It would be hours before Eric would be awake. Maybe if I got good at it I could 'poof' in and out of the Grabbit Kwik. No, I couldn't do that. My Gran did not bring me up to steal. Maybe I could make it to Jason's - but maybe I'd need an invite and get diverted off into a swamp because I couldn't enter.

I vividly memorised each room in Eric's house and methodically worked my way from room to room using my new skill.

Maybe I could call Eric's daytime guy Bobby Burnam and try to bum a Hershey bar. If the man had any people skills at all I might have felt able to explain my predicament to him. Maybe Eric wouldn't need a daytime guy with me around. Unlike when I was human I didn't feel as drained as I should, having been up all night and only having slept a few hours.

I was about demented with my growling gut by the time Eric finally awoke. I felt him rise and poofed my way to his bedside.

"What's wrong?" he asked immediately.

"I'm hungry for human food, really hungry for some reason and I… I don't have my purse so I…"

Eric was on his feet pulling on clothes before I could finish my sentence. In less than three minutes we were sat outside a small patisserie. I ordered a plate of mixed sandwiches and a slice of strawberry gateaux. I was slightly embarrassed as I practically inhaled my food, it was going down so fast, but I was more embarrassed that I'd have to ask Eric to pay when he wasn't eating.

"This hunger for human food seems akin to the thirst for blood," he said. "What time are you rising?"

"About midday," I told him.

"I will send Bobby, in fact no, we will have the kitchen stocked tonight in preparation for tomorrow."

"I can go to the shops myself tomorrow, if I could… if I could borrow some money."

"Sookie, please, why are you so reluctant to take anything from me? I have money to give, why do you talk about it like you are asking to borrow on organ?"

I was saved from a response by Eric's phone ringing.

It was Pam calling to advise us that Mr Cataliades was waiting for us at Fangtasia.

"We will have this discussion later," Eric said as we made our way the short walk back to his house to retrieve his Corvette.

Mr Cataliades welcomed us into Eric's office, resplendent in a vibrant purple cord jacket. Perhaps it was only because I was now less than human that I could see that he really was not. "My dear," he said, taking both my hands, "I am so pleased to find you immortal. I always knew your human life was destined to end eventually but that did not make the news of your passing easier to bear."

"Thank you, Mr Cataliades, it is good to see you too," I told him.

"I'm afraid I must come to the point quickly as time is pressing at the moment, as surely yours is too," he continued addressing Eric and I. "The Ancient Pythoness visited last night and has ordered me to collate the estates of Felipe De Castro and Victor Madden and appropriate them to you, Mr Northman."

He went on to explain that our Coronation would serve as a public declaration of our vampire marriage, at which point everything Eric had would become 'ours'. I was about to make a glib comment about being happy to sign a pre-nup when I was silenced by a look from my demon sponsor.

It was just as well because Eric immediately professed his great delight at no longer having to prioritise amongst the many things he felt I needed. To choose just one thing here and there, and then to spend time trying to justify their provision in a manner I would accept, had apparently given him endless concern.

I saw then in his touch that each small battle I'd fought for my pride and self-respect had been to him nothing but a rebuttal of his attempt to love me.

And so, in little under a week, Eric and I would be sharing Victor and Felipe's combined assets, the cash contingent of which was the not inconsiderable sum of one hundred and fourteen million dollars. _Breathe, Sookie. _I told myself. _Or not_.

It took an hour all told, for Mr Cataliades to note our wishes with respect to the estate. The moveable assets were being sold as Eric and I agreed we didn't want them and regardless, we shared no similar tastes with the departed in, well, anything really. The properties and business interests were being maintained, excepting a few properties and licenses that Victor had seemingly purchased around Shreveport with, what we can only assume to have been, the express aim of taking business from Eric.

"I regret that this has not been a more social call, my dear," said Mr Cataliades, as he packed some papers into his briefcase. "Perhaps when things are settled after the Coronation, I might call on you with Diantha? She is very eager to be reunited with you."

"I'd like that."

Eric and Mr Cataliades shook hands and then the great demon lawyer was gone and in his place stood Pam handing me her phone with ire painted all over her immaculate face.

"What is your favourite colour?" she drawled. "I will be purchasing you a phone this evening. I am not a secretary."

"Sookie?" came Jason's voice.

"Hi Jason, miss me already?"

"Actually, yeah. Listen, I been to see Portia about the deed to Gran's house being put back in your name. Eric's contractor left me a message bout a half hour ago so I'm just heading on over there now to meet him. Portia said you got to call her."

I used Eric's desk phone to call Portia. She was the executor of my estate. She confirmed that temporarily I'd have no access to my own bank and savings accounts. The property deed had been transferred immediately and easily to Jason. However, the bank it seemed could take up to two weeks to close out the accounts and either to transfer the funds to a nominated account or to issue a certified cheque. Portia asked me to come sign a Vampire Transference Decree, so that she could promptly hand back to me my modest assets, less of course, her considerable fees.

"It would appear I will have to get used to your generosity," I said to Eric as I got off the phone, "Portia has confirmed I am to be cash poor for a while."

"I have considered for some time that what is mine is yours, Lover. Even without the new estate that would make you a millionaire a few times over," he said, reaching into his desk drawer and rifling to find a little envelope. "I had this made for you some time ago, in case you should ever require it for business or travel purposes. I trust now you will accept it from me without waging war," he smiled, handing it over.

It was a credit card in my name. Would it be rude of me to immediately poof to Walmart for a coffee maker and a waffle griddle? Eric felt my relief and excitement and his smile widened.

"Still hungry?" he asked.

"I was thinking about waking up to coffee tomorrow," I said sheepishly.

I settled for a blood instead as Pam had reappeared with three on a tray and a laptop wedged under her arm.

I took the hint: now the work began.

It was an hour from dawn, the club long since closed, when we finally moved again. At least as a (part) vampire I found I could sit still for long periods of time without any significant discomfort.

Pam covered many bases, including some I wouldn't have thought of in a million years. It was a wedding with a difference. The wedding ceremony would be brief and there would be no elaborate contract given that this was a love match to which we both brought to the union equal shares in the same territory. Then there would be a declaration of our intent to rule the kingdom that we had conquered and the pledging of all our subjects.

We talked about the layout and weaknesses of the hotel, potential danger from other monarchs, potential external threats like The Fellowship of the Sun, wardrobes, music, dancing, donors, the non-Vampire guest list, accommodations and, finally, Pam gave Eric her views on suitable vampires to take up regencies.

A vampire called Wedderburn was currently living in New Orleans. Although he had retired from his position as advisor to the British vampire monarch, King Connor, Wedderburn had been a close friend of Sophie-Anne's and had basically gone to ground when the Nevada vamps turned up and started slaughtering those loyal to the regime. Pam was certain that with Eric at the helm, who had always been a favourite of the late Queen, he could be persuaded to serve once more and perhaps oversee Arkansas. Maxwell Lee seemed to be enjoying his reconnaissance and peace keeping role more than Thalia so she reasoned that he could be moved to Nevada. Oddly enough, she suggested Bill for regent of Louisiana.

Eric regarded her with much interest.

Pam elaborated, "He has a shrewd eye for talent, is loyal to the ruling monarch to a fault," she looked pointedly at me. "He is a modern Southern gentleman and a mainstreaming technologically advanced vampire with an even disposition. I know you hate his guts Eric, but better the devil you know."

Eric looked at me.

"I don't object," I said. I didn't. I thought Pam was spot on in her assessment.

"And have you thought on your position?" Eric asked her.

"I'm toying with Duchess or Executive Director of Royal Affairs," she smiled playfully. "But I may just stick with the unofficial role of King's child or second in command. That doesn't mean I don't want my own office."

Eric looked on her fondly, "I think we could go one better than that and get you your own building."

"You would do that, _for me?_" she deadpanned.

"If that's the end of business," I interjected, "perhaps we can all go home? I'm the only one who's dawn proof."

A short time later I was cuddled up in bed and my Viking was giving me a tutorial on how to work my new phone. Once I was sure I could manage texting and making a call I took the phone off him and gave him a lesson in things more carnal. Who needs to know about apps and touch screens when you have over six feet of perfection at your fingertips?


	14. Chapter 14

**Charlaine Harris owns the originals here!**

I woke at ten thirty the next morning. Pam had given me an afternoon 'to do' list to keep me out of trouble but first things first I was going to devour a lot of coffee with a plate of bacon and eggs. There had been no time for serious grocery shopping last night once Pam's efficiency streak kicked in but Eric had made sure we stopped at a little all-night place to get some bare essentials on the way back to his place.

The coffee was instant but it was hot and bitter and once I got a mouthful of decent bacon saltiness I couldn't profess to care. With something in my stomach I picked up my sleek and shiny black cell and popped in a little pattern with my fingertip. Eric had explained at great length something about vampires not being able to use the early model touch screens - something about electrical magnetic fields – honestly I had been too tired to care. It looked a lot like Pam's phone but it had a thin blue band around the casing, presumably so we could tell them apart. I called the first person on the neatly penned list in front of me.

"Hi Jason," I said when he finally picked up. It sounded like he was answering from a war zone.

"Hey sis," he shouted, "Catfish gave me my job back but I'm doing pennies overseeing loading the supply hauls for half the crews in the state."

"Penance," I corrected, "He's got you doing penance."

"What I said, ain't it? Anyways, what can I do you for? Sook, shit, what you doing up during the day?"

"Er, I can do daytime just like I can do human food."

"Cool."

I loved that my brother was so unperturbed by most things. "You get the invite to the Coronation next week?" I asked him.

"Yeah, bout that," he wavered, "Calvin ain't too keen on me getting myself up in vamp's affairs. He says it's nothing against you and Eric, but he doesn't think we should be involved."

I had had exactly the same notion. "I get it Jase, I do. But Pam made a really good case in that we can offer you better personal protection as my brother if we openly acknowledge the relationship and you pledge to us. Calvin was only invited as your supe leader and if he doesn't want to come then that's up to him. I think she's probably right."

We hemmed and hawed back and forth a while to the backdrop of gravel and tar being loaded onto dumper trucks before Jason finally agreed not only to come but to visit Eric's tailor in Shreveport to have a suit made for the event.

"What's the plan for Gran's place?" he chipped in once we'd got the Coronation agreed on.

"Nothing too radical. Light tight shuttering for the windows, some security. We are converting the upstairs into office space and the contractor is going to make sure that the structure doesn't need any fine tuning from the fire." Jason didn't need to know about the changes going on in the en-suite.

"So y'all plan to be using it a bunch?" he asked. I heard the hope in his tone and smiled.

"We'll probably have to bounce around a bit between the three states but I hope to be there whenever I can be."

Eric had told me when we'd briefly discussed the renovations – and thankfully it was a discussion and not his usual highhanded approach to planning – that he had no sentimental attachment to any of his American properties, they were all too 'new'. Gran's house however, held a special place in his undead heart since the recovery of his memory of his time in hiding there, and he promised we would be there as much as possible.

I wasn't naïve enough to believe we'd be able to be there often. Ruling across three states meant we would have to have a regular presence in each. We would have to have a central and permanent base large enough (and fitting enough) for vampire royalty, where local and foreign monarchs and dignitaries could be called on to visit and be entertained. It would have to be suitable for conducting business, housing staff and be secure. Eric had never wanted the limelight and responsibility of being a King and given our new situation I understood why. It felt akin to being a walking target.

Next up on my list was Alcide. Unfortunately, no one had told him about my wakening and I had to endure a volley of verbal abuse and him slamming the phone down on me twice. I didn't feel very patient as a vampire, lucky thing I had time ahead of me to work on that.

I tried a third time, "Alcide, listen…"

"Look, I don't know who you are you sick fuck but if you call me one more time I swear to God I will find you and tear you limb from limb," he yelled, cutting me off again.

Some things are better dealt with face to face I suppose. I had to go out anyway and had Pam's car at my disposal for my errands as I really didn't feel confident driving Eric's Corvette with its scary ass stick shift.

I called ahead to his office to make sure he was in.

I parked the silver station wagon in the underground lot and took the elevator up. I noticed my skin had a warm tone to it out in the day in contrast to the pale hue it shone with at night. I shook the thought away. There were five days between me and a lot of possibly hostile vampires, I so didn't have time to work on my adjustment for the time being.

I smiled as I approached the receptionist, "I'm here to see Mr Herveaux," I told her.

Her bright smile faltered and she shot a look toward the closed door at the end of the hall to her right.

"Mr Herveaux doesn't have any appointments free today," she lied to me. Truth was he was in a piss poor humour and the kindly older woman didn't think it was a good idea to unleash him on a young (vulnerable) potential new client.

I suppressed a smirk at her thought of me being a fragile sweet girl. "Hazel," I addressed her, leaning in conspiratorially, "I'm a friend of Alcide's and I'm here to surprise him. I promise he'll be a new man when I'm done with him."

Hazel blinked several times in rapid succession. Her thoughts were a clamour and I decided to just break for it. I walked deftly and surely to Alcide's door and thrust it open.

Alcide didn't even look up from his paperwork. "I guess I need to redefine 'Do Not Disturb'," he grumbled. His forehead was resting between his finger and thumb, his elbow on his desk. He looked care worn and his dark beard was shaggy with flecks of silver.

"Authority sure doesn't age people kindly," I remarked. "You look like you could use a break Alcide."

At the sound of my voice his head shot up. He said not another word and stared fixedly at my face. He stood and in three quick strides he had me lifted off my feet in the bear hug to rival all others. He squeezed and my bones rattled but thankfully it didn't hurt. He inhaled deeply, his nose buried in my hair. That had him take a step back pretty rapidly.

I turned and smiled kindly back at Hazel and her thoughts were calm now that I'd so obviously had a warm reception. I pushed the door closed and then met his questioning gaze squarely.

"Your phone manners need some work," I told him brusquely.

He nodded. "Not used to getting calls from beyond the grave before lunch." He raised a challenging eyebrow.

"I woke up a couple of nights ago."

"You smell vampire, but you're not singeing my rug so I'm a little confused."

I shrugged and made toward the small grouping of sofas in front of his desk. "I woke up, nearly ate Sam as I happened on him in the cemetery. We all thought I was a vampire. The next day I woke up during the day and accidentally teleported myself outside into the sun. Night fell and I wrestled a burger right out of Jason's hands. A source in the know explained that faeries aren't supposed to drink vampire blood, it kinda lingers in the system and if something bad happens we uh, wake up, late. I'm a freaky hybrid." I smiled at him apologetically. I may have to get better at explaining myself to other supes.

Alcide was still glued to the spot. He cast a large hand into his copious hair and rubbed his scalp hard, then brought it down and over his eyes and face. He looked like a man trying to sober up after a drinking session and I feigned not to notice the couple of tears roughly brushed aside.

"Sam alright?" he asked gruffly.

I nodded. "He's even still speaking to me."

He guffawed a mix between a sob and a chuckle and then the smile reached his eyes. "You had us thinking…"

"I know. Still here though. Just a bit 'other'," I cut in quickly. "So, the reason I was calling, before you cussed me out, is Eric is having to take up Felipe De Castro's place as King. We're married under vamp law so I'm his Queen. We have to have a party for all the bigwigs. Nothing fancy, just you know, dancing, fine dining, strong likelihood of bloodshed. You in?"

"Will it help you out?" he asked seriously.

"I hope so."

"Then I'm in, Queen Sookie," he said, giving me a mock incline of the head.

"Gee thanks, big dog Herveaux!" I shot back.

He laughed and sank back into the armchair opposite me.

"So I guess you're now thoroughly embroiled in their shit," he said after a bit.

I nodded. "My shit too now I guess. Better to be issuing commands than be on the receiving end of ultimatums and demands."

"You OK Sookie? I mean really?"

"I honestly thought if I'd be more, well, mad, about everything." I confessed. "That first night when Bill handed me a blood, I kept asking myself who had turned me and why and trying to work out how much and for how long I'd hate them. Then I saw the look on Eric's face and it mattered less. Now, with the general weirdness, I'm resigned to it I guess."

"He your maker then?" he asked.

"I had his blood in me, a lot of it, from after the Fae War, but no."

"I tried to get to you Sookie," he said quietly. "I tried so hard to get to you. I don't think that fucker so much as had a chance to bite his wrist before Eric landed on him but no one was sure, and when Sam called about the funeral…"

The conversation was getting a bit morbid. I jumped up. "Was good to see you, Alcide. Your invite is probably under that haystack you call a desk there. See you Friday. I gotta go get me a coffee pot."

"Well, that settles it," he said. "Whatever you got going for you now, you're still definitely our Sookie."

I smiled and took my leave feeling better about things generally. It wasn't profound but it was straight from the wolf's mouth. Whatever else had changed, coffee and Eric were still my big loves. I could still turn up and surprise my friends anytime of the day or night.

I was just me with fangs and a few extras. I popped the keys in Pam's ignition and armed with a little more self-love and Eric's credit card account, I went to Walmart.


	15. Chapter 15

**Busy gearing up for baby's first Christmas. Hoping to answer a few questions with this chapter. **

**Charlaine Harris owns all the goodness here, I'm just baking cookies with her ingredients.**

I made it back to Eric's house a little after seven, heavily laden down with groceries and appliances.

Pam and Eric looked up from their positions on the couch in the living area as I passed with my swag. Both followed me open mouthed to the kitchen where I dumped everything and immediately popped a True Blood into the microwave.

"You have got to be shitting me!" swore Pam. Disgust was etched deep into her eternally youthful beauty. "Walmart? Sookie, seriously? You are handed a limitless credit card and you go on a shopping spree at fucking Walmart?"

Eric leaned casually against the wall with his arms folded across his chest and amusement plain on his face.

"They had everything I needed," I said defensively. I wasn't going to add to her indignation by admitting I only picked the brands that were on sale and that I was so late in getting home because I'd spent an hour internally debating whether or not to buy a coffee maker like the one at the farmhouse or to go all out on a new espresso style machine. In the end I couldn't be that lavish with what I still considered to be Eric's money and bought the more modest machine.

"You didn't even buy any clothes!" she shrieked.

"I have enough clothes to get by with until…" I trailed off. _Until I got access to my own money_, I had nearly admitted. I shot Eric an apologetic look but he was crossing to me with a happy smile.

"Lover, I am endlessly pleased that you went out today and spent some of our money on items to bring you comfort. I'm sure in time you will learn to demonstrate the flair and reckless abandon with money that Pam has come to cultivate when shopping, but for now, baby steps."

Eric began moving the stock of True Blood to the fridge for me as I unpacked a few things. I chanced a glance at the still fuming Pam. "You and me, we're not done here," she said with a menacing gesture back and forth between us. "You will learn to shop if it takes me an eternity to bash it into your thick skull."

"Speaking of skull bashing," I said, trying to change the topic, "would it be an idea for me to learn to fight? I mean, I know I'm strong like y'all now but shouldn't I practice or learn the basics or something?" I asked, carefully manoeuvring some discount baking trays from a bag straight to the cupboard, trying to keep the big red slashed price stickers out of Pam's scathing sight.

"It is already in Pam's agenda," said Eric, taking my now warm blood out of the microwave and handing it to me. "Swords, defensive hand-to-hand, daggers and bows."

"It never ceases to amaze me that in a world of modern warfare with its explosives, automatic and biological weapons that supes prefer to hash things out hand to hand with medieval weapons," I said.

"There is no honour in killing with fire power. Guns are for the weak, for humans. There is little or no physical effort involved, though granted some skill. Besides, I know you to already be proficient with a shotgun so we thought your time would be better spent on new skills," said Eric not looking at me directly.

My brother had ensured my working knowledge of guns and how to aim and fire them, as Debbie Pelt had learned.

"Other than the Britlingens I don't think I've ever seen any of you head to a fight with a bow and arrow," I challenged. I had a brief and chilling flashback of the arrow thrower from Rhodes. I suppressed a shiver.

"With your ability to fly you would possess a great advantage as an archer," Eric said rubbing my back tenderly.

The area where my wings had torn through the flesh was still a little tender as he well knew. It seemed physically impossible to my addled brain that wings as large as those I had seen on myself and the evil empress could retract fully back within the flesh without so much as a lump or bump in evidence. But then, vampires had no sizeable lumps in their gums when their fangs retracted so why would another magical appendage be any different? I didn't look forward to the re-emergence of my wings under any circumstances. Maybe it would sting less over time.

After going over my successes for the day in relation to our guest list, Eric and I left Pam to her laptop and headed down to the basement. A slight nervousness was threatening to pop my fangs but I listened attentively while Eric began explaining the ins and outs of holding a sword. I perused his extensive collection and picked a petite, almost feminine looking one from the wall rack. It had a slight curve to the blade and a light weight titanium handle. It had an artfully embedded inscription on the handle in a foreign language, cast in – wait, were they emeralds?

"For the preservation of life," Eric translated when he saw what caught my eye.

That was a fitting sentiment for a weapon in my mind. I did as I had been told, holding the handle as if to shake hands with it.

"For agility you will attack with the wrist. This blade is light and designed with sharp speed in mind. Only in defence will you employ the strength of your whole arm so as to disperse the energy of your attacker's swing," he told me.

Eric turned out to be a patient teacher. I had hoped that our little session would resemble some great martial arts training montage or at the very least the one from the musical episode of _Buffy_ but I was sadly disappointed. No such grace and poise for Sookie Stackhouse. No, my montage was destined to largely consist of me getting knocked on my butt, to a soundtrack of huffing and grunting, and repeatedly helped to my feet by my Viking.

When we finally began rounding out our night with hand to hand fisticuffs I couldn't take it anymore. I had had enough of being knocked down. I palmed off Eric's advance attack as I'd been shown but on a random whim I poofed myself to the space behind him and grabbed a hold of him by the hair. It was unexpected but Eric was a quick and resourceful fighter and he quickly had me by the elbow, pulling me through the air above him and I watched in slow motion as the cement floor rose up to meet me. I gripped tightly to Eric's hand grasping me but bringing him down on top of me was only going to ensure I was crushed after I'd had my nose broken. _Oh for a soft landing_, I thought, closing my eyes to the inevitable.

Instead of face planting the floor of Eric's basement I got a mouthful of the soft comforter in his bedroom. I was also instantaneously smothered by Eric's weight pinning me down. I smiled to myself as I hadn't consciously planned on teleporting to a softer landing. It was a short lived glory as Eric was rapidly off me and on his hands and knees by the bed retching.

I hadn't intended to transport myself. I most certainly hadn't planned on bringing him with me. The gravity of the situation hit me. What if he is irreparably damaged or sick?

A part of me wanted to run, a part wanted to comfort him. I gently touched his back as his heaving subsided.

He sank back onto his heels and reached back to take my hand. "I'm OK," he assured me, feeling my fright and turmoil in the bond. "I'm not hurt, just a bit shocked."

I moved to look into his eyes. He smiled at me kindly.

"I'm not sure I'll ever voluntarily travel with you by 'poofing' as you term it," he said, groaning a little and closing his eyes, "but I would definitely recommend using this as a tactic to disarm any non-fae opponents."

Pam burst through the door and took in Eric on his knees and the small pool of blood on the hardwood floor. "I didn't see you come upstairs and then I felt…"

"Sookie's ability to teleport is becoming second nature it would seem," Eric explained, getting to his feet. "It does not seem to work well for hitch-hikers."

"Are you OK?" she asked him.

"Fine, Pam. It's a little like the after effects of ingesting animal blood."

Pam's pretty face contorted.

"Precisely," said Eric. "It's quick to pass though."

"If you are sure you are quite well then I will retire for the day," Pam said. "I will need you both to be at Fangtasia an hour after first dark tomorrow for the preliminary meetings with the proposed regents and then Alberto and Firenze are coming to discuss our wardrobe requirements for the event."

Eric looked at her with a little wonder. "Thanks Pam," I told her.

She nodded minutely and turned on her heel, pulling the door behind her.

"When did she get so bossy," Eric asked me, sitting heavily on the bed.

"I think somewhere around being promoted to Duchess Pamela, Royal Executive, Wedding Coronation Planner, anti-bargain department store Fascist."

He laughed and took my hands, guiding me to the space between his long legs. "I'm still amazed you came home with something other than a box of eggs and some sweet tea fixings. I did not however, enjoy waking without you tonight."

"I know," I told him, "I'm sorry about that. I meant to be home before dark. I know we're at risk, especially before the ceremony, and that you worry and…"

He cut me off with a finger to the lips. "Shh Sookie. Tonight proved to me that you can be resourceful with your new abilities when you feel threatened. I do not expect you to live the life of a hermit now that you are at your rightful place by my side. You are not a fragile human anymore, and I have no right to continue to play the high handed protector you so abhor. "

"Uh-huh," I nodded. "That'll be why there were two burly weres following me in a blue pickup from here to Alcide's and then why the same two were engrossed in a pile of Disney DVDs for over twenty minutes while I perused bakeware. All because you are so not worried about my fragility."

Eric opened his mouth but nothing came out so I raised my eyebrows waiting for his denial. It didn't come, he just buried his head in my shirt and embraced me round the waist.

"Wife, love of my long life, I'm sorry."

"No you're not," I smiled, running my fingers through his hair. "I assumed guards were a necessary evil with our new position. I promise not to fight you on the necessities."

"Can I make it a necessity then to wake every day to your glorious naked form?" he teased, slipping his hand under the bottom of my red silk shirt.

"We can negotiate the necessities," I laughed as his hand found the clasp of my bra.

As he expertly undid the little clip I began unbuttoning the four little buttons that covered my cleavage. He was lost to the girls for some time and I was lost to the sensation of his fingertips and artful tongue.

When my blood was ready to boil I couldn't hold back my fangs any longer. I raked my fingers across his chest and tore apart the black Fangtasia t-shirt he was wearing. It was about time I sought revenge on his wardrobe. I pushed him onto his back and straddled his waist.

Even with my new healing abilities my poor butt felt black and blue. I'd be on top tonight and the pace would be mine.

I got no complaint from Eric who roared my name as the sun came up and died for the day in my arms.

**OK, so do we want to ask Santa for lemons for Christmas? Review to let me know your thoughts!**


	16. Chapter 16

**Charlaine Harris owns everything here. Santa brought me TrueBlood for Christmas. Between that and a particular entertaining fanfic - I thoroughly recommend 'Return of the Stackhouse Six'! - I haven't got much of anything done, so apologies with the tardy updating. **

Training and my other tumbles with Eric had literally knocked the stuffing out of me. I fell asleep as the sun came up and didn't wake till around three in the afternoon. I had a hasty shower to wash off the sex and put on a crimson wrap skirt and a light white cardigan over a white vest that had a red lace trim.

I loved the feel of freshly dried hair bouncing on my shoulders as I descended the stairs and headed for my new coffee pot. After fixing it to brew I went to the front door and reached out to locate the day guards. I found them at the end of the next block up from Eric's house. I popped on the light canvas shoes I'd abandoned at the door the previous night and went to meet my security detail.

"Morning boys," I said smiling brightly as I stopped at the window of the blue pickup. They both looked flustered like young boys caught with their hands in the cookie jar.

"Morning Ma'am," they replied in unison.

"Sookie Stackhouse… Northman," I tagged on, holding out my hand to them through the open window. Vamps might not shake hands but well brought up weres did.

"Thomas Knight and this here is Wojciech," said the closest were, shaking my hand.

"You part of the Longtooth pack?" I asked.

"Yes, Ma'am. I've been with Alcide's company and the pack for about seven years now. Wojciech has just moved here with his young pup," said Thomas.

I performed a quick read of both. Their brains were still snarly but I was getting the intent and some clear pictures from them. Thomas missed the stern authority of the deceased Herveaux Senior at the office but was fiercely loyal to Alcide all the same. Wojciech was trying to etch out a safe place for himself and his son. He was tired of moving around and he was deeply sad. I got an intense visual of his wife being killed by a car while they were out running in their wolf form.

I winced from the image and then schooled my features. "I'm sorry for your loss Wojciech and hope you'll be happy here in Louisiana. Why don't you bring the truck to the driveway and I'll bring you both some soda, unless you'd like some coffee."

I hoped my tone brokered no argument and turned on my heel and headed back to my coffee. I was pleased to hear the truck rumble closer to the house and the engine cut. I took out some Cokes and let them know to buzz if they needed anything.

I didn't have any chores to get through for Pam today but with the Coronation looming I did the responsible thing and after munching some toast I headed to the basement, picking out my bow and a quiver of arrows. I was actually looking forward to being able to defend my loved ones for a change if it came to a fight, instead of being the weak and feeble human. The target board was still set up in the yard where we'd left it the night before. I set the quiver at my feet and carefully placed my feet as Eric had shown me. I made sure to catch up my hair in a loose knot before I let my first arrow fly.

I had fetched back my whole arsenal of arrows some twenty times before I actually made contact with the target. It was the very outmost edge of the target but I stood back and took great satisfaction with the way the shaft protruded from the canvas, the sun glinting off the feathers. Careful to recall the way I'd balanced the arrow for the previous shot I took aim again and sank the arrow into the board just by the one before.

I made a slight adjustment and the next arrow met the space between the outer edge and the centre. I adjusted again and overshot the centre of the target by a few inches to the other side. Pleasure in achievement radiated in my chest and I poofed over to refill my quiver.

The very next arrow met its mark and I whooped loudly and did a little happy dance, twirling my bow in front of me like a baton. In my excitement I'd spooked Thomas and Wojciech who came barrelling down the side of the house into the yard.

"Sorry," I laughed sheepishly. "I hit the target, didn't mean to alarm y'all."

Thomas smiled kindly and made to take his leave. Wojciech looked at me seriously and began toward me.

"Ma'am, it not Wojciech's job to make tell but Ma'am should make practice not stand one place," he tried to explain. Genuine concern and a little frustration filled his thoughts. I suspected that his language skills were being fractured by his extreme nervousness in addressing me directly.

"You watching Wojciech's head," he instructed me, tapping his temple. He thought very deliberately about fighting - wolves, vampires, humans – their speed, their continuous and unpredictable movement. I got it, in a battle my opponent would not stand still for me and I would not have the luxury of being still to take my aim.

I nodded to him and smiled. "OK, thanks."

"First Sookie running," he said, imagining me practicing shooting my arrows while moving. "Tomorrow, Wojciech running too." In his head he clarified that he would be running carrying a body long wooden shield. He had clearly been thoroughly briefed on my telepathy as he was conveying his mental pictures so clearly and slowly he could have been a cartoon English speaker shouting at a foreigner. I bit back the urge to tell him 'me telepathic, not stoooo-pid'. However, it was an effective way to communicate across the minor language hurdle so I let it slide.

"OK, tomorrow you can help me practice," I agreed. _And I might take some Tylenol in preparation!_

He smiled and walked back to Thomas and they shared a crass joke about female archers as they took their leave. It was only made amusing by the fact that Thomas made the reference quickly and Wojciech used his hands effectively to clarify he'd understood the joke properly.

The rest of my afternoon was spent learning to walk and fire, then building up to a run. By the time the sun was dropping toward the horizon I was starving. I hurried inside and made myself an omelette with cheese, some herbs, ham and mushrooms. Dusk was fast approaching and I wanted to brush my teeth before Eric woke.

I was emerging from our ensuite, untying my skirt when I noticed he was already sat up in bed.

"This Lover, is not you naked," he quipped.

"I know I know," I said to him, further tightening the knot in the fabric in my haste to undo it. I sighed heavily in defeat and dropped my hands to my sides. "I was practicing in the yard and then I was starving and after I ate I wanted to brush my teeth and I was trying to get naked but you're awake and the sun's not down yet!"

He rolled his eyes in mock disappointment and then threw the comforter back and strode toward me, his gracious plenty at half mast. "I suppose," he said, caressing the side of my face, "that I cannot be mad at you when you are being so dedicated to your studies."

"How bout you help me wash up before we head to Fangtasia?" I asked.

"Seems you need my assistance with your troublesome clothing so it's for the best," he said, nodding seriously.

"What I need is some of my regular day clothes so I don't have to run around your yard in my Sunday finest," I grumbled.

"Why don't you take a trip to Bon Temps after our meetings? I'm sure you know your home well enough to teleport there and back quite safely."

"Who are you and what have you done with Eric?" I questioned, marvelling at this new relaxed version of my once overbearing husband.

"Come Lover, we must hurry if we are to get you thoroughly clean in time for our meetings," he said, grabbing each side of the knot in my skirt and tearing the fabric apart.

Once under the hot spray Eric's strong hands ghosted up the outer edges of my thighs, round my curving hips and settled on my belly, pulling my back flush against his hard chest. He tucked his head into the crook of my neck and inhaled deeply. I placed my hands on top of his and leaned against him. He seemed to enjoy watching the water course down my breasts and under his gaze my rosy nipples peaked, seemingly calling out for his attentions. He did not disappoint. He turned me to him and lifted me to place a bud closer to the high altitude of his magnificent lips. His gracious plenty hardened and grazed back and forth against the soft flesh of my inner thigh, taunting my centre.

I wantonly bucked my hips, but the height difference just wasn't giving me friction where I needed him. I caught his eye as he watched a thin trickle of blood escape my breast (along with a soft moan from me) where he'd grazed it with his fangs. Very deliberately I sucked my own finger into my mouth and let it go with a soft pop. I trailed the tip of the fingernail down his torso before tucking it between my legs and rubbing soothing circles around my nerve centre.

My ploy had the desired effect. Eric sank to his knees in the thankfully spacious shower stall and slid my body down his, impaling me on his cock and replacing my finger with his thumb. I clung to him with my legs wrapped firmly round him and contracted my thigh and butt muscles to raise myself up and down his plentiful shaft.

It was a far cry from the quickie we should be having owing to our several meetings at Fangtasia but as the combination of my slow bobbing drove his tip over and over that delicious nub inside and his thumb worked in languid but forceful circles over my clit, I couldn't seem to care.

When my orgasm reared its head I tried to increase the tempo of my pulsating upon Eric's dick but he grabbed my hips and took over control, continuing to very slowly and steadily fuck me. He increased the pressure of his thumb but not the speed.

At first I was frustrated. I could see the finish line and I was looking to sprint headlong into that ribbon. Instead of reaching that place and the race being over though, when my orgasm hit it held me there. Eric continued touching and thrusting into me and my chest heaved air through my system to vent the exquisite pleasure compiling deep within me. My arms tingled and my toes curled and (knowing it rocked his world and I was now well practiced at it) I held my gaze steadfast in Eric's azure eyes.

Finally Eric groaned and pressed his forehead to mine. I noted for the first time the determination and effort he was exerting maintaining his ministrations. "Keep coming for me, Lover," he begged.

It was heaven and everything after, but it wasn't perfect because he wasn't there with me. I grabbed his shoulders, rocked myself fiercely on him and sank my fangs into his neck. I finally crested my monstrous wave and was thrown high before being submerged in the aftershocks of my own pleasure.

When I came to my senses again Eric was still beneath me and tenderly licking the little wound on my own neck. I was quick to pierce my tongue and bath his wound.

I felt him smile into my shoulder. "Your blood tickles a little, Lover."

"I'm sorry. I guess I forgot that you'd heal anyway, you being a full vampire and all. Don't know where my head's at!"

"I'd say the blood is elsewhere," he chuckled evilly before brushing his long fingers against my clit. Every muscle within me seized at this further stimulation and Eric suffered a gasp of his own. "Argh!" he moaned, "I'm slightly concerned about circulation myself: you really are quite the vice during a protracted orgasm."

His arms belied his words though as he continued to hold me tightly.

We sat under the spray for a few moments in peaceful silence before Eric moved me off his lap and exited the shower in one fluid movement. "Lover," he called over his shoulder, leaving the bathroom, "dress. Pam is on her way to us at speed and she is highly distressed."

I was towelling my hair and pulling on the first item of clothing I came to when my cell rang. I saw it was Jason and had just answered when Pam appeared at our bedroom door complete with bloody tears.

"A brother for a brother, Stackhouse. Only fair," came a shrill take on a vaguely familiar voice from the other end of the line. "Say goodbye."

Before I could even open my mouth the sound of a gunshot reverberated through the phone and the line went dead.

I held the phone away like it might bite me and looked blankly at Pam. My brain might have continued to refuse to process the content of the call but it couldn't ignore Pam crumpling to her knees with one word silently escaping her lips.

One word and I felt my shields throw themselves blindly at every single one of my senses.

One word and it got dark.

One word.

My brother's name.


	17. Chapter 17

**Charlaine Harris owns the characters and world.**

I couldn't formulate a thought. It was like my shields were protecting me from the contents of my own mind. My head was a black hole into which I stared unseeingly. Of course, it wouldn't or couldn't last.

I looked blankly in front of me. Eric was holding Pam upright by the tops of her arms. Their conversation drifted to me like wisps of smoke.

"They sent a video to the club. Eric, it was awful," Pam sobbed. "They said they wanted nothing from us but to know that he was going to… die!"

"Calm down Pamela!" Eric shouted at her. "Where is he?"

"I don't know!" she wailed. "We never exchanged blood! I didn't want you to know and he didn't want to face the same problems as you and Sookie, not knowing if I was with him for him or for the allure of his tiny trace of fae!"

Eric unceremoniously dumped the near hysterical Pam in a pile on the floor and crossed to me. He placed his palms gently on either side of my face. "Sookie? Can you hear me Lover?"

I tore my eyes off Pam, desperately trying to erase the memory of my brother's name on her lips amid all this hysteria, and focused on the glinting sapphires of my beloved's eyes.

"Lover, you must focus. We none of us have had Jason's blood. Assuming they have indeed shot him time is of the essence. Are you strong enough to try to teleport to him?"

As I began to understand the outline of Eric's plan my shields crumbled and I was awash with pain but thankfully there was also steely resolve and determination to hold my terror at bay for now.

I nodded.

"We must hope that his attackers do not know the complete details of your transformation. Surprise is always the strongest ally in any battle. As soon as you depart I will track you through our bond with Pam. I would like to suggest that you locate your brother and teleport both of you back here immediately but he may not be in any condition to be moved. The shift is not kind on the person being transported with you."

I nodded again, still mute.

I closed my eyes but Eric gently shook me and I looked at him.

"I love you," he said, kissing my forehead.

"I love you. Find us, Eric," I told him, closing my eyes.

I neither knew nor cared what I was poofing into but Jason was my only family and I would not leave him a moment longer in murderous hands. I couldn't consider the possibility that I'd arrive too late. I pictured Jason. I started with his thick blond hair and his outdoorsman tan. I saw him as I so often had at Grans, raiding the fridge in Levis and a black wife-beater, plaid shirt, cocksure grin and twinkling blue eyes.

I felt the shift in the air around me and smelled dank wood and heard the sound of running water.

I was in a wood by a creek. I inhaled deeply and caught the scent of a large predator. I also could smell wood smoke and discern the vague golden hue of embers in the distance.

Then I smelled the blood and threw myself forward with every ounce of physical force available to me. I felt the tell-tale ripping across my back and knew that my wings were unfolding behind me. My vision took on a red glow and I heard a woman's internal ranting as I tore silently through the trees and undergrowth toward what I could now make out to be a high fenced clearing and a little stone cottage no bigger than a hut.

'…_My brother, our provider, he never caught a break, no real happiness… who's gonna look after us now? Always loving the wrong thing - shouldn't have loved us - would've saved him so much pain. God damn vamps. No life… All messed up in shit and killed for that blonde piece of shit whore. Damn bitch tellin him she didn't want him because of his family. Her fucking brother fucking shoots him and then they all left him there to burn. Nothing left to bury. My brother, my beautiful kind hearted brother gone, not just to the pits, but gone, and nothing to bury. Well, I'll fucking show them, if I can ever get this God damn damp ass wood to take, they won't have anything left to bury either…'_

Frannie was about to cremate my brother's desecrated remains and just as I absorbed this and half scaled half flew over the fence toward her I was barrelled into side on by a large tiger. Not quite as large as Quinn had been but no less powerful or magnificent. My shoulder cracked in its joint as the impact sent me colliding with one of the few trees in the enclosure which lurched and groaned under my weight. I only didn't fall into the waiting tiger's jaws beneath me as my wings fully expanded and thrummed like a hornet's.

I would later explain to Eric that I didn't formulate a plan at that moment, I just lunged for the animal beneath me and grabbed a hold of it over its wide back. I caught my good arm under one of its shoulders and balled my other fist in its fur close to my chest. I visualised us both high above the clearing and then we were both a couple hundred feet up in the air. I immediately let go my hold on the tiger. With only one working arm it was never my intention to take its weight. I just hovered and watched as it sprawled and roared toward the dirt below.

Fran's scream tortured the night air as she beheld her mother on the ground. Naked and slight the now human older woman looked peacefully asleep, caressing the earth, but for a trickle of blood running from the corner of her mouth. Fran either didn't recognise me or couldn't see me for her anger and tears but she fired a shotgun blindly into the sky.

I poofed myself behind her and caught my working hand around her throat. "Be with your family, Frannie," I hissed, squeezing.

I felt everything she did. Her pain, her anger, her recognition of me and finally, her acceptance. As she imagined going to her mother and brother in a safer, kinder place, I think she found peace. Then her neck broke and she was finally silent to me.

I dropped her in an instant and leapt toward Jason. I sank to my knees in front of him.

My brother was almost unrecognisable. His handsome face was dirty, his hair clumped together with sweat and grime. He had been tied to a chair, beaten at some point either before or after the fact, shot at what appeared to be point blank range in the gut and it looked like Fran had made several efforts to light a fire under him but the damp in the wood had made it troublesome. His legs and feet were burned but the quantity of blood he'd lost had effectively soaked his pants preventing the fire's further spread. The pile beneath him merely smouldered and stank.

His head hung loosely to the side and his once bright eyes were closed.

I moved my working arm, bringing my wrist to my lips.

Eric and Pam landed silently behind me and Eric laid his hand upon my shoulder to stall me. "He's gone," he whispered.


	18. Chapter 18

I turned and buried my head in Eric's abdomen. He stroked my hair softly with one hand and held me to him with his other. I felt a grinding sickening pain as my shoulder blade and possibly my collar bone on my right side moved back into place and began healing. I sagged back on my hunches and watched as Pam moved toward my brother.

She broke his bonds with a few sharp tugs. As his shell began to fall to one side she scooped him up in her arms and carried him over to the fire pit that held the dying embers I'd seen when I first arrived in the wood. She sat on the ground and rocked him tenderly and I saw for the first time the love that this sharp tongued supposed lesbian harpy had harboured for my brother.

I hoped that they had shared time together and that he had died knowing he was loved as he deserved to be.

It was no surprise to me to find Niall striding purposefully into the clearing. I did startle though as he strode to Pam and demanded of us whether we'd fed Jason vampire blood.

"His heart was already still when we arrived, Niall," Eric explained.

Niall let out a breath. "Excellent," he proclaimed.

"Excuse me?" I gasped.

"Sookie come, explanations later child," Niall commanded. "I cannot give him the Breath because it is too soon since I offered it to your soul. You are now Fae, he is your kin, you may make the offering. You have to share your power, your spark, your light and you must do so willingly. He may lose a part of himself, gain a part of you, both or neither. He will be Fae as you are. Do you wish to do this?"

"Yes!"

"Then you open his lips and you gather yourself and you blow. You must mentally guide your light to his heart and through his veins. It will make you weak but you will recover," Niall said.

I ran to Jason's side and Pam laid him on the ground. She apprehensively looked between Niall and I. Niall caught her gaze and returned it with a hint of speculation which turned to mirth of all things.

I parted Jason's cold lips and tried to do as Niall had instructed. I held Jason's right hand and cradled his face in the other. Niall took up Jason's left hand. I tried to visualise the new found power I felt from my Fae heritage. I felt the rays of the sun on my back, the tearing of the wings, the way the world looked with my new sight, the way the air quivered when I poofed between places. I tried to take it all and see it as an energy, a light, as Niall had said, and I blew. Within seconds I felt human and trapped under water desperate for air but I blew. My brother's life depended on me. The pain increased and I felt Niall's warm hand on mine. "That's enough," he told me.

I gasped and concentrated on sending the light to Jason's heart. I imagined it piggybacking the blood flowing through his arteries and then the unimaginable happened.

My brother's dead heart beat.

Niall began murmuring under his breath and I gave in to the urge to lie down on my side and close my eyes. I kept a hold of Jason's hand.

I heard Niall continue to bark orders at Eric and Pam, something about giving Jason their blood now. I drifted to sleep as I thought I felt Jason squeeze my hand.

I awoke some hours later. I was lying on my side facing Jason, our hands were still clasped. We were in one of the guest rooms at Eric's house. I lay for a few minutes enjoying watching his chest rise and fall with a slow steady breath. Someone (Pam I guessed) had stripped, washed and redressed him in a pair of Eric's sweatpants which were rolled to the knees. Jason's abdomen was tightly bandaged as were his lower legs and feet. He didn't look in any pain though and I detected the same warm essence I enjoyed whenever our great grandfather was near.

I marvelled slightly at Niall's intervention, given his previous contempt for Jason. Perhaps in the face of losing one of his kin he could overlook whatever issues he had with Jason's resemblance to Dermot.

I made to move as gently as possible off the bed, afraid to wake or even jostle him. In doing so I gasped at the pain that radiated throughout my neck, shoulder and collarbone. I bit down on my lip and slowly edged to the door which opened for me to reveal an anxious Eric and Pam.

After a quick assessment of my expression Eric came forward to try to help my progress but I held up my hands. I couldn't think of any way he could touch or assist me without hurting me. He settled for my reaching for his arm to lean on with my good one and we quietly closed the door behind us on Jason.

Pam moved ahead of us to the kitchen and I heard the fridge and then the microwave doors open and close. By the time Eric and I came into the kitchen, three True Bloods were waiting for me on the breakfast counter.

Eric looked at me with a deep frown etched in his forehead. "Human blood would help you heal faster than synthetic."

"I was healing, I felt it, before Niall arrived. I think the Breath thing might have put a spanner in the works. I'm not sure blood has much to do with it," I said.

"You are a young vampire and you have not fed on blood this evening," Eric reminded me.

"Well I'm a fae-pire and I ate eggs before… this evening," I told him, swallowing down some True Blood anyway.

Eric quirked an eyebrow at my turn of phrase. "Touché, my little 'faepire'," he said, cracking a grin. "I merely do not wish to see you hurting, Lover, as I'm afraid we have serious concerns to discuss."

"Indeed," I said dryly. "I believe Pam has something to share."

Pam had changed into a light green pastel twinset that I think a decorator's chart might refer to as 'apple blossom'. She had obviously recently showered and changed because she wore no makeup and her hair tied back in a French braid, still wet. I had never seen Pam less put together, but at least the bloody tears were absent from her current ensemble. Her face was its usual disinterested mask but then a crack appeared in the façade.

"Eric, master," she began but with a glance at our faces she abruptly changed tack. "Sookie, my Queen, [my eyebrow shot into my hairline, an expression I fear I may have caught from Eric]… my friend, I have long been an admirer of your brother. He is a beautiful man and although he lacks your quick temper and sharp wit, he shares your passion for life, your kindness and your great devotion to loved ones.

Nothing was ever said, or ever happened between us until after your funeral. When Eric dismissed me I felt lost. I ended up falling in with the mourners and drifting to Merlottes. When I stopped to offer Jason my condolences he looked deep into my eyes and then he held me. We spent two nights comforting each other before he decided he had to leave Bon Temps. We have become much closer since you awoke."

"You love him," I said simply. It wasn't a question, I'd seen it plain on her face in the woods.

"I believe I do," she said. "We decided owing to your Fae lineage that I would not drink from him, nor him from me, so that we would know our true feelings without being influenced by the blood. He said he had seen your reluctance to accept your true feelings for Eric due to the confusion you felt over the bond and that he didn't want that. It was difficult for me, but I had watched Eric struggle with something similar over the allure of your blood in the early days until it was alleviated with an understanding of Hallow's curse."

I got it. I didn't realise Jason was capable of a rationalisation quite so profound when it came to matters of the heart but then his experience with Crystal had definitely matured him extensively.

"OK," I said to her simply. They were both grownups and although I was surprised, particularly on Pam's count, if they were happy, so was I. "Moving on to more pressing matters: Fran had help taking Jason."

Eric was immediately all business and Pam looked decidedly relieved. "Yes," he began. "According to the shif… _Sam_," he corrected with a smile for me, "someone matching Fran's description tried to seduce Jason at Merlottes when he stopped in for dinner last night. Jason sent her packing."

"Jason called me," piped in Pam, "just before sunrise this morning to wish me pleasant dreams. He set his alarm early to wish me good day."

"The woods we traced you to were just before Idabel," Eric continued.

"That's just over the state line in Oklahoma," I realised aloud.

"It appears that Quinn had been building a safe house for his mother across the border from Felipe's territory with permission from the Queen," said Pam.

"But if he was moved during the day it wasn't vamps," I said.

"The local packmaster is head of the royal day guard," Eric said simply.

This was all kinds of bad.

"Do you think she will try anything else before the Coronation?" I asked Eric.

"No," he said seriously. "I think she was approached by Frannie for retribution and agreed hoping it would weaken us. The lack of evidence of weres at the compound gives the appearance that she wants to be able to deny knowledge of this attack in any event."

"Is Jason going to be OK?" I asked.

"After your gift to your brother Niall asked us to give him some blood which Pam did," said Eric.

"I was hesitant to approach him after what Niall had said about him becoming Fae," Pam added.

"Thankfully, realising Jason's future need to be close to those close to you, he gifted Jason with a muted scent," said Eric. A troubled look crossed his features. "He actually smells disconcertingly like you now."

Hmm. Best not explain it to Jason using quite those words. "So Pam's blood will help him finish healing?"

"Yes. Niall returned you both here while Pam and I flew back. His wounds appeared well knit by the time we arrived. We merely dressed them to keep them clean and prevent any infection. I would guess that by the Coronation he will be himself again."

"The dawn is coming. Would it be OK if I sat with him a short while?" Pam asked us both.

We both nodded.

With Pam out the room I looked to Eric.

"Niall left you a letter," he said, indicating the counter. "He apologised he couldn't stay until you awoke. He said you and Jason might need physical proximity in the next few days to overcome the after effects of the Fae magic."

I looked at it skeptically I hoped that it was too soon for him to have been able to pull his Prince-of-Darkness 'this message is brought to you on the skin of your enemies' business. It looked like regular high end personalised stationary though.

I took it in my hand but didn't open it. "Eric, I," I started haltingly. "I killed them."

"You saved your brother," he corrected.

"Fran," I shivered, "I heard everything that went through her mind. Do you think it will always be like that for me?"

"Lover, I would hope that you will have little opportunity to find out going forward. Even if you had the need in future to end your enemies I will pray to Odin that you only need to do so quickly and from a good distance."

I smiled with him and fought back the threatening tears. Quinn's whole family had had a raw deal but I couldn't dwell on that.

"Eric, I'm worried. If Oklahoma is trying to weaken us without an outright attack I'm concerned for the safety of my friends." There were a lot of people that sprang to mind that I wanted to protect. One however was more vulnerable than most.

And so I proceeded to tell Eric about the one thing I'd always vowed to keep from him.

Hunter.

**A/N - I hope you appreciate that I posted both these chapters together! I couldn't leave you hanging like that. I just couldn't take out Jason.** **As always Charlaine Harris owns everything here and I'm just playing. I do thank everyone for my reviews as always. I only get to write when my baby sleeps (and I don't have nappies to wash!) so forgive me for not replying to reviews directly. Know that they are much appreciated and always spur me on, especially when I'm sleep deprived ;-)**


	19. Chapter 19

**I don't own the characters or the world - just playing. **

When Eric and Pam retired for the day I went back to the guest room to be near Jason. Eric had listened intently while I explained about my search for Hadley's child and my resolve to protect him when I met Hunter and discovered his situation. The bond had been a world of hurt and anger on Eric's part at first but gradually it waned into acceptance and understanding. By the time dawn had come he'd been himself and we'd agreed that, as with Jason, Hunter was safer with us than apart.

A lot had to be done, the first thing being a hard conversation with Remy.

The plans for the farmhouse were going to change. Our Royal Residence was going to be in Bon Temps after all. Eric's reasoning for this change of heart was that the town was so small it would be difficult for any strangers sniffing around to go unnoticed. Its obscurity would lend us an element of protection. Gran's house came with enough land that we could easily build additional residences for Pam, Remy, Hunter and the guards.

My mind buzzed. We'd had to reschedule last night's meetings to tonight which meant I'd have to deal with Remy today, regardless of whether I was still hurting from my confrontation with a tiger.

I don't know at what point I eventually managed to dose off but I woke with a start when Jason started screaming.

I got a hold of him by his shoulders and shook him gently. His arms flailed up and he grabbed hold of me in his sleep, making me wince in pain.

"Jason, it's a dream, Jason, wake up, you're OK," I told him.

His eyes opened slowly and he gradually loosened his grip on my arms. I continued to reassure him and his breathing steadied.

Looking at him, the terror in his eyes broke my heart. I knew too well what it felt like to suffer your trauma over and over again in your sleep after torture. I wasn't sure if my presence was helping or hindering him process so I told him I was going to fetch some coffee and motioned to the door behind me to indicate the washroom.

I left him and hobbled toward the kitchen. I stopped by the full length mirror in the hallway to assess my own damage. I was dressed in a black vest with a light blue cotton shirt and a similarly coloured skirt. I slid the shirt off my shoulder and gasped at the expanse of mottled skin tones. Every possible shade of bruising from black through to yellow was visible on both my front and back on one side. My clavicle was clearly misshapen. I quickly covered up again and continued on my way through the house.

When Jason emerged from the guest room some fifteen minutes later there was a plate of French toast, bacon and maple syrup waiting for him with a little bowl of cut fruit and a steaming mug of coffee.

His smile was a bit shaky but he came to sit at the bar and picked up his mug.

He took a long pull before he looked up at me. "They were the tiger's family? From Sam's trailer?"

I nodded.

"I was eating breakfast when they bust in to my house," he told me. He began cutting up his toast with his fork. "Four maybe five Weres and this annoying kid I'd put off at the bar the night before."

He didn't elaborate, just started eating his breakfast with his usual gusto. He didn't have to say anything more aloud though, his mind was running through the events over and over again and I couldn't block it out no matter how hard I tried. I winced and gripped the sides of the kitchen counter for support as he remembered the Weres taking turns to beat him with their belts while Frannie watched with a video camera.

"Jason, I'm so sorry," I cried.

"Now Sook, you're supposed to stay outta my head. You promised!" he reprimanded, looking up from his plate.

"I can't! I can't make it stop!" I buckled and cradled my head trying desperately to put a shield between my brain and my brother.

Jason threw all his energy into thinking about fishing at the lake. I took a deep calming breath.

He knelt down beside me and handed me a napkin.

"I'm the one that shot him, Sook," Jason said. "You didn't put the gun in my hand or pull the trigger."

My brother's usual jovial expression was old and careworn. For the first time I noticed some crow's feet in the corners of his eyes.

"You would never have killed him if it wasn't for me," I told him.

"A big brother has the right to do what's right to protect his little sister." I caught a memory from him of us as kids, walking home from school. I was very young, maybe five or six. We'd had an argument and he was stomping along in front of me, ignoring my pleas to slow down for my little legs to catch up. Some other kids lived on the road out to my parent's place and they were following, taunting me with the usual 'Crazy Sookie' jibes. I was crying and pulling my backpack along behind me in the dirt. Jason's memory was laden with shame and regret.

"You were just a kid, Jason. You stood up for me plenty after…"

"After our parents died," he finished, shaking his head. "It shouldn't have taken that to happen to us for me to wake up and look out for you." He was still remembering the picture of me crying and calling to him. "You were so little."

I collected myself and took his offered arm to stand up. "I'm sorry," I said. "I can't seem to hold you out today. My shields aren't working or something. I'm not intentionally prying, I swear."

Jason chewed his lip a bit and I waited for him to verbalise the question that was eating at him.

"Did I die, Sook?"

I put my good arm out to hug my brother and fought back my sob.

He sighed heavily. "I didn't know vamp blood could work once that happened."

"It doesn't," I told him.

He pulled back and looked at me. "Then how?"

"It's a fairy thing. Niall tried with me, after Sam's trailer. He told me to try after we found you," I said simply.

"You brought me back from the dead?" Jason really looked at me. From his head I realised that despite everything he'd seen since I came back, to him I was still just his sister. To bring him back from the dead though, that had made him rethink my otherness a touch.

I tried to lighten the tone with a shrug, "No biggie," I smiled at him.

"Well I'll be damned," was all he said.

"No you won't. You will be a bit more of a fairy though," I told him.

"Say what?"

"My spark - my fairy-ness – I had to give you a part of it to save you. You might be a bit different."

Jason perked up, excitement bubbled as he remembered the first time he'd shifted. He was imagining having fun discovering more of his supe persona and I had to smile. Jason always saw the glass as half full. An errant concern flashed across his face and his hands shot to his ears.

He looked up a bit meekly and I laughed out loud till the pain advised me to stop. His resounding thought was 'Yipee! No pointy bits!'

I settled myself at the counter opposite him and leaned over to help myself to some of his untouched fruit. "So, you and Pam, huh?"

Immediately I regretted asking the question as my brain was besieged by Jason's memories of her and their rather intimate moments together. "Aarg!" I yelled. Jason's thoughts jumped back to the lake.

"Are we always gonna have this problem now?" he asked, irritated, gesturing between our heads with a finger.

"I'll speak to Niall, hopefully it'll just be because of the Breath and it'll fade in time or I'll be able to keep you out again," I said, trying more to reassure myself. "But wait, how come I didn't get anything from you about Pam before?"

Jason smiled shyly. "I made Pam glamour me so I couldn't think about her that way when you were around."

I nodded, it all made sense. "I'm happy for you, Jason." My brother seemed to be falling in love with my vampire BFF.

His breath hitched in a panic. "Wait! Don't vamps just want to eat fairies?" I felt his sudden stab of fear at the prospect of having to be parted from Pam.

I wondered where Jason had been getting his information and judged Pam and he must have pillow-talked supe basics at some point.

"Niall gifted you with a muted scent last night. You'll be as I was before, well before all this," I said, gesturing to myself, "and Pam should be able to restrain herself fine. Eric hasn't drained me yet."

We were interrupted by a brisk knock at the front door. I motioned for Jason to stay put and went to the door. I reached out and sensed Thomas was our caller. I opened the door. Beyond Thomas at the foot of the garden was Wojciech, blocking access to Niall and what appeared to be Jason's twin. I was slightly bemused to find them here together and Dermot was obviously very nervous.

Thomas took a breath to address me but I cut him off. "It's OK Thomas, it's… family," I finished.

"My dear," called Niall, "Perhaps you and Jason could accompany us out for some lunch?"

"We'll be right out," I called back. Bringing full blooded fairies into a vampire's home was not the best plan, even if one could mask his scent and said vampire was currently living with two people who smelled faintly of eau de fae.

Fifteen minutes later, the four of us sat in a booth at the same patisserie I'd visited with Eric. Dermot, despite being removed from the proximity of a vampire's house still looked decidedly edgy though he occasionally would shoot Jason or I a maniacal smile.

Once tea (with milk, not lemon) was served and the wait staff suitably removed I felt Niall exert a little bubble of energy around our table, much like he had done the night I first met him. I assumed this would stop us being overheard.

Niall was the first to break the silence, "Sookie, Jason, my dears, I am aware you have met Dermot."

Dermot gave us another crazy grin and we both nodded. Jason was a little tense as he remembered the ease with which Dermot had thrown around a certain were-panther.

"Dermot presented himself to me at the palace not long ago despite the death penalty for defection and other crimes hanging over his head. His last request before sentencing was to have his aura cleansed and he insisted I be the one to perform the ritual. As soon as I began the magic he had so long been bespelled – no, cursed - under, was apparent to me. It took very much time but with assistance we have righted him and returned him to my side.

He has too long lived in your world, afraid of discovery by his true kin, to be able to return to Faery and find peace. As you are both his kin he has requested that he continue to reside in this realm, with one of you. After the events of last night, I believe it may be fortuitous for him to spend time with Jason to help nourish his new spark and develop his magic."

I looked to Jason. This was his call.

Jason frowned. "So, he's safe, right?"

Dermot's sad eyes dropped to the table in shame. I instinctively reached out and took his hand in mine, giving it a reassuring squeeze.

Niall looked at his son and then at Jason. "He has long been under the strain of dark magic. He poses no threat to you or your sister but in order to be at no risk to himself he must be with his kin in order to heal."

"We're both with vampires," Jason thought aloud.

"And I cannot affect Dermot's scent, it is too well established, so he would be wise to be kept from certain members of the dead," said Niall.

"I can be with Claude at the club in the evenings for company when you are both otherwise engaged," Dermot offered meekly.

I was resolved. "Of course you can be with us. We'll work something out," I assured him with a big smile. His smile morphed into something more genuine, more relaxed. It made him look even more like Jason.

"Excellent!" declared Niall. "I must be off." With that Niall poofed himself right on out of there. The protective bubble burst and the small café continued on as if nothing untoward had happened. I doubt anyone would have seen Niall at all during the visit, such was his magic. He had thoughtfully left a small pile of notes on the table. Way too many to cover our light pickings given they were fifty dollar bills.

"Is he always so…?" Jason grumbled. There was still a ways to go to healing the great gaping chasm between he and Niall.

"Yes," piped in Dermot. "My father is under much stress with the rule of Faery and the recent war and the closing of the portals. He is always very _busy_," he announced quietly and diplomatically.

"I meant to ask Niall, Dermot, but maybe you can help. Last night I gave Jason," here I leaned in and whispered, "the Breath. I think it might have damaged my telepathy. I can't shut out his thoughts today at all."

Dermot smiled apologetically, "I'm afraid dear niece, telepathy is not an inherently Fae trait so I am not familiar with its workings. However, in giving someone the Breath, you are giving them a part of you. The spark in Jason will recognise you as its own for some time. Perhaps you cannot block out Jason's thoughts because he is currently a part of you. Although he will always carry the magic spark, his tie to you will fade."

"When?" asked Jason.

Dermot mumbled a little to himself and seemed for all the world to be counting on his fingers. "Time moves slower here than in Faery, so I'd guess within three weeks, four days and seven hours."

Jason looked sideways at me incredulously and I shrugged. "You're sitting next to me breathing," I said. "I'll deal with the audio-visual on you and Pam for a few weeks in a heartbeat rather than not have you here at all."

Jason finished cramming some pie down his throat and leaned back to scratch his belly through the bandages. "Itches like a bitch," he complained.

"I think getting shot might have had worse side-effects if you hadn't had copious quantities of Pam's blood," I smiled kindly. I did sympathise. The wound where I'd been staked in Dallas had itched something awful after the vamps had worked to seal it.

"Well, I think I'd best be getting back to Bon Temps," said Jason. He was worried about the security of his house after the break in. He also wanted to be in familiar surroundings after his ordeal. "Dermot, you think you can get us there?"

"Indeed, nephew," chirped Dermot, delighted to be able to help.

"We're going to have to work on a story to tell folks if you're going to be around some," said Jason, taking in the similarities in his great uncle's appearance to his own. "A cousin, from Mum's side of the family, or something."

The two strapping blonde blue eyed gents (who did look like twins) had the attention of every woman in the building as they left together (in the conventional method: out the front door to go find a safe place for poofing). Dermot advised that as Jason was now Fae he would take no harm from teleporting and may actually be able to do it by himself given time. This information was the highlight of Jason's day.

As they reached the door I felt a strong tug telling me to go with them but I knew it was just the magic trying to keep Jason and I together. I paid the bill and ordered two huge slabs of devil's food cake to go. Nothing says, 'I'm now a fae-pire Queen and I'm sorry but for safety you and your son have to come live with me, my vampire husband and our entourage,' like chocolate with chocolate and more chocolate.


	20. Chapter 20

**It has been a very long time and I'm sorry. Won't bore you with the reasons but I hope to finish this story in the next few weeks. Charlaine Harris owns the characters and the world. **

I knew something was amiss the minute I pulled in to the kerb outside Remy and Hunter's modest Red Ditch home. A white transit van was parked half on and half off the sidewalk and the front door was open. I hesitated behind the wheel and caught sight of Wojciech and Thomas pulling in behind me. The sun was hanging low on the horizon and dusk was threatening to darken the sky. It would be some time before Eric or Pam could reasonably be called on for back-up.

I cast out with my mind into the house. I was getting two gnarly brain signatures – weres. There was a third signature that was distinct from the usual murkiness I get from weres and shifters. It was a little like trying to look at a cross between Sam's brain and someone under the influence of glamour. There were words and pictures but they were just swimming round in a head of soup. I focused hard and tried to address my little cousin.

_Hunter, it's Aunt Sookie. If you can hear me talk to me in our special way._

I picked up a fleeting image of my face, a sense of love and comfort from the soupy brain, but then it descended into nonsense again. I was reading Hunter, I was sure, but something was terribly wrong with him.

I glanced back over my shoulder at the two weres and tried to formulate a plan. What would Eric do in this situation? _Not go anywhere without backup!_

I launched myself out of Pam's car and headed for my bodyguards. On my way over to the weres' truck I text Eric, advising him that I suspected a situation, and that I might be too late to get to Hunter without an incident. Given the distance between the sun and the horizon, on a whim I also text Jason, telling him my location and that I might need some help.

"Gents," I said, leaning onto the window sill of the truck's cab. "This is the home of my little cousin, kinda my only relative asides from my brother Jason. I don't think it bodes well that the door is ajar and two weres are in the property."

"Do you know if anyone else is in there?" asked Thomas.

I checked again, homing in on the disjointed thoughts of Hunter and thought that I sensed another brain. It was so faint a signature it almost wasn't there though, as if the person was in a dreamless sleep.

"I think my little cousin is in there but there's something wrong with what I'm hearing. He's drugged or only partly conscious I think. He's four. Another human is potentially in there but is not in good shape, probably his father, Remy."

"What can we doing?" asked Wojciech.

I looked gravely at the two men. Never before had I directly ordered others into the path of danger on my behalf. Was I going to start now?

I tuned in to the weres in the property. "They are anxious, they are watching us. They don't seem to know me. They are anxious to get away before nightfall so I assume they have only been warned to be gone before the vamps rise. I can't risk spooking them. I'd like you two to drive off down the road now, kinda like I gave you directions," I told them, gesturing down the street and pointing off left. "I'm going back to my car and then I'm going to teleport into the living room and use the element of surprise. Even if I have to teleport straight back out again at least I'll know what we are dealing with. If I can get to Hunter my plan is to teleport him straight to the bed of your truck out of harm's way."

I smiled and waved at my bodyguards who looked less than impressed with my plan but dutifully pulled away and moved off down the street. I headed back to the car and my phone rang.

"Hello?" I answered.

"Lover, you are doing something to endanger yourself, I can feel tension rolling off you in waves," Eric stated drily.

"Good evening to you too. There are two weres in Remy's house. I think Remy might be badly hurt or at the very least totally out of it. They've done something to Hunter. He seems able to hear me but there's no focus, he's not forming sentences or coherent pictures. Thomas and Wojciech are nearby. My plan is to poof on in there and surprise them, hopefully get Hunter out as it's him they are after."

"Do you have any weapons with you?" Eric enquired calmly.

"Just surprise Eric. Feel free to come meet me here when I'm done." With that I hung up. No point procrastinating.

I slid behind the wheel of my car and remembered the chintzy sofa, the dim room, the little clusters of Lego and toy trucks scattered along the floor. In the blink of an eye I was in the living room, alone thankfully. Remy lay unconscious just inside the front door: a large welt forming down the side of his face that was visible to me. His breathing was shallow and laboured and I could smell blood but I couldn't see it.

Thoughts of Remy were eclipsed by a sudden appearance to my right in a doorway that must have led through to Hunter's room though. A stocky gray haired man in army fatigues stared at me steadily. I didn't miss the blade in his hand as the light glinted off it.

"Well, what do we got here?" he leered. The visual I got from his head of what he wanted to do to me almost had me retching. On the plus side, this goon had no idea who I was.

"I'm the babysitter, what's wrong with Remy? Where's Hunter?" I challenged.

"Defiant perky little thing, you, eh?" he smiled and the effect was aesthetically displeasing. "Gav, come see, we mighta made a bonus."

'Gav' appeared then in his squat freckled glory behind thug number one. He instantly paled, "Shit, that's…"

"You can call me Queen Northman," I supplied. Then I poofed behind him and threw him bodily forward into thug one, who was jolted across the room. I really hadn't wanted to touch that sleaze ball for fear of what I might see in his head.

I picked Gav up off the floor. "Now, Gav," I said, pinning him by the throat to the door frame, "You're going to tell me who sent you."

Gav's eyes told me I was getting nothing from him, but with my hand wrapped around his jugular he might as well have been a walking sandwich board. "What do you want with Hunter?" I yelled in his face. Again, he said nothing, but he didn't need to. "Who is the vampire with the yellow teeth and slicked back hair?"

Poor Gav was a little taken aback by my line of interrogation. Finally I brought my face close to his and felt the red mist descend. "What did you do to Hunter?" I hissed from between my fangs, the red from my eyes reflecting in the whites of his.

"You are both miserable excuses for supes," I cried, "He's a child!" And with that I threw the freckly were across Remy's living room, bowling ball style until he collided with thug one who was just coming to.

With that Thomas and Wojciech bounded into the room. "Secure them," I directed, indicating the intruders. "And first aid and an ambulance for Remy."

I shook the red haze from my eyes. I was terrified to turn round, frightened of what I'd see. I steeled myself and looked back.

Hunter lay on his side on his bed, a gag tied tightly between his lips, his hands and feet all bound together, eyes open unseeing. They'd been in the process of moving him to the van when they'd heard the vehicles approach. He'd fought back as hard as a four year old could before they'd hit him with the tranquilisers.

I moved to the bedside and quickly undid the bindings and removed the gag. His limbs flopped frighteningly and his eyes closed. In the distance I heard a siren approaching.

I placed my hands on either side of Hunter's face, trying not to see his split lip or his broken nose.

_Hunter, I know you can hear me. You are safe now. Everything is going to be OK. There's an ambulance coming and they are going to make you feel better. I promise, I won't let anyone hurt you ever again. _

As gently as I could I wrapped him in his bed sheet and lifted him through the house to meet the EMTs at the front door. Thomas had moved Remy into the recovery position.

The first EMT to approach the house looked warily beyond the door which I only realised now had a large boot shaped print in it where it had obviously been kicked in with great force.

"It's OK, the danger is over, the attackers have been restrained," I told her.

She took in my appearance and decided I was completely non-threatening and obviously not scared for my safety and proceeded to come toward me, her partner inches behind.

"What do we have here?" she asked.

"This is Hunter," I said. "He's four. He seems to have suffered a blow to the face and the attackers told me they'd shot him with chlorpromazine and haloperidol. He was restrained when I found him but I've untied him. The other victim is his father, Remy Savoy. He's been hit in the head and was unconscious when I arrived. Hunter has been drifting in and out. He's not lucid."

"OK, Jack, if you can ensure Mr Savoy is stabilised for moving, we'll take the little guy out to the van," said the first EMT, whose nametag read Yola. She moved toward me as if to take Hunter from me but my hold on his tiny body tightened and whatever she saw in my face changed her mind. "If you wouldn't mind bringing him out, Miss…"

"Mrs. Northman," I told her. "These are my associates Thomas and Wojciech. They helped me subdue my cousin's attackers."

We were half way down the path when Eric landed in front of Yola. It was a good job that in her line of work, Yola had developed a strong constitution.

"What can I do?" he asked me, over the top of Yola's head.

"Remy is inside, hurt bad, can you check on him, he's with the EMT? If you want to get a good kick in on the thugs that did this I suggest you do so now before the police arrive." I gave him a significant look.

"Of course," and with that Eric was gone.

"My husband," I explained to Yola who had gone a little slack jawed.

She surprised me when she laughed and said, "Lucky you."

We laid Hunter out on a gurney and she delicately placed an oxygen mask over his face and started taking his vitals. "What can we do for him?" I asked her.

"We'll need to check out the extent of his injuries but if it's largely just the effect of the drugs I'm afraid we'll just need to keep him stable and wait for the effects to wear off. We'll try to flush his system and keep him hydrated till he comes round."

A sudden commotion at the house had me out the doors into the street. The second EMT was yelling to Yola. I didn't need any equipment to hear Remy's heart stop beating.


	21. Chapter 21

Some hours later I sat alone at Hunter's bedside. I had given two separate police officers my version of events, twice. The little boy in front of me was asleep now rather than in a drug induced haze. His dreams were a little psychedelic but with the exception of the odd appearance of the faces of thug one and thug two, they were relatively peaceful. It broke my heart to know that in however many hours he would wake, confused and disorientated and I would have to tell him that his Daddy was dead.

Well, dead for the moment. 3 droplets of Eric's thousand year old blood had restarted his heart long enough for TNB (whose name I had since learned was Eve) to be summoned to try to bring him over. It had meant the unavoidable glamouring of the EMTs and Remy, should he rise, would have to be kept far from Hunter until he was well in control of himself. It gave us a valid reason to temporarily send Eve the spy away from the fold, while also giving her a reason to defect to us long term. As Remy's maker we would expect her to take up residence with him on our ever expanding site.

Friends close, enemies closer.

I had mulled over the idea of keeping any mention of Remy from conversation with Hunter until we were sure he had risen. In three days though, even I might struggle to stop Hunter pulling the fact from my head or worse, someone else. No, he would have to be told the truth: that his Daddy was badly hurt and couldn't be saved so we had tried to make him into a Vampire so that they could still be together. We would have to wait three days to know if it worked and then Remy would be going on a short holiday to learn to be a gentle vampire before Hunter could see him again.

How Remy would feel about joining the undead ranks was anyone's guess. It made sense to have as many bodies with a vested interest protecting Hunter as possible though.

Jason and Dermot had been by with a large bag of clothes and familiar items for Hunter and I had ensured he was placed in a private room as far from other patients as possible. Hospitals were miserable places for telepaths.

I reached out and took his little hand in mine: gently rubbing circles around the back of his hand and that was how Eric found me.

"I brought you some food," he said, laying what looked like a Feta cheese salad down on the bed.

"Thanks," I said, smiling up at him.

He ran his fingers with a feather light touch through Hunter's hair. "I don't suppose there is any chance lover that you will believe me when I say that this is not your fault?"

"It's only partly my fault."

He raised an eyebrow.

"The rest is all on Hadley," I said, standing and brushing the crease lines from my skirt. "The Queen wasn't the only one whose interest she caught with her somewhat exaggerated stories about me. There is a vampire called Anders who came looking to procure me after I met Bill. He watched me on and off looking for an opportunity and when he heard I died, he went looking for my family members off the back of my will."

"Do you know whom he attempted to _procure_ you for?" asked Eric, snarling over the word as if it tasted of cold stale blood.

"No, but I know that the plan revolved around securing a telepath in an effort to overthrow Stan Davies."

"You got all this from the were?"

"He was an exceptional broadcaster. He knew exactly who I was on sight but didn't believe in my telepathy so didn't even try to obscure his thoughts. I asked and he thought of all the things he wouldn't be telling me."

Eric smiled, "Always better to be underestimated."

I couldn't make my smile reach my eyes as Hunter shifted and became fretful. "I can't wait till the drugs are out of his system. His thoughts are so giddy they are making me seasick."

"Would our blood help him do you think? At least help repair his little face?" asked Eric.

I shook my head. "I thought about that but the Pythoness' words about the fae not being meant to ingest the blood made me hold back."

"We could just introduce some to the surface of the split flesh to help it heal?"

I considered this. Hunter was very young and already befuddled by drugs. Would a little vampire blood in his system really make much difference?

"I'll give it a try," I said, standing over Hunter. "Maybe my blood isn't as concentrated. After all I'm only sort of a vampire."

I pricked my little finger with a fang and allowed just a drop to catch the broken skin around Hunter's lip, then lightly drawing it around his nose and brow. Hard to believe that one adult fist could make such a mess of a beautiful child's face. How anyone could hurt a harmless child drove me to distraction. I smoothed the crimson droplets along the cuts and Hunter's face miraculous started to heal. The swelling reduced and the abrasions sealed, going from red to pink to white and then fading altogether. Just as I made to return to my seat we heard a small pop and his little nose straightened. No matter how many times I saw first-hand the effects of vampire blood, it never ceased to amaze me.

"I'd say your fae-pire mix was as potent as my vintage if not stronger, my love. Even I cannot heal broken bones with surface contact," smiled Eric, shaking his head slightly.

"I'm just glad he doesn't have to hurt physically when he wakes up."

"His heart rate has also slowed, Lover, do the dreams ease?"

"Yes," I said. I caught a stream of images from Hunter. They were part of a memory of my childhood – of Jason and I playing in a tree house in the yard of Gran's house after Mom and Dad passed away. "I think I gave him a few happy memories of mine to play in by accident."

Eric's phone rang and he answered silently, listening to the opening rant on the other end. "For you, lover," he said, smiling and rolling his eyes.

I took the phone from him. "Pam," I started, "My new phone is still in my car. My bad. How can I help you?"

Pam's voice drifted in and around my consciousness as I glided through the silent movie going on in Hunter's dream. When she finally paused (though not for breath) I cut in.

"Pam," I started, "I appreciate your concern and I agree, we must meet to discuss the state of the Kingdom but I will not be leaving the hospital. I _will_ be close to hand when Hunter wakes up. The cafeteria will be deserted at this hour. Convene the meeting there and I will contact Jason to come sit with Hunter." With that I terminated the call.

Eric raised an eyebrow.

"She's not supposed to like it," I snapped, texting Jason and sensing Eric's amusement. "I can't stand y'all's lack of phone manners. Maybe she'll mend her ways if I give her a dose of her own medicine."

"You are her Queen, you could command her," he speculated.

"And hell will freeze over before our familial relationships get caught up in the 'your highness' mumbo-jumbo. I'll play the part in public to protect us but at home it will be Eric and Sookie. Just you and me."

Eric nodded thoughtfully and looked at the sleeping child. _And Hunter, and Remy, and Eve, and Pam, and Jason, and Dermot, and Niall, and Bill, and Sam, _he continued to think to himself.

I smiled and nodded, realising he must have been actively projecting to me, "Yes, and all those people too, and probably a few others along the way."

Eric's phone beeped once and he glanced at the incoming message. "They're here," he said, just as Dermot and Jason appeared in the room.

"Excellent timing guys, Eric and I will just be downstairs, call me if he wakes up," I said, hurrying Eric out of the room before he could move to devour Dermot like a steak.

The hospital's cafeteria was, as suspected at this hour, empty. In amidst an otherwise bleak array of ugly pink plastic chairs, stood four vampires, dressed elegantly in suits (mostly designer I expect) and shiny shoes: Pam's royal blue Mary Janes perhaps the most eye catching of the bunch. She was the only one who stood straight save a respectful head bob when Eric and I entered. The other vampires, including Bill, the first love of my life, the first man to share my bed, got to their knees and murmured in unison, "Your Majesties."

I grit my teeth and took in the homage before me. I grit my teeth. _And so it starts._


End file.
